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THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  DATE 
INDICATED  BELOW  AND  IS  SUB- 
JECT TO  AN  OVERDUE  FINE  AS 
POSTED  AT  THE  CIRCULATION 
DESK. 


NOV  2  81998 


TOBACCO: 


ITS 


HISTORY,  VARIETIES,  CULTURE, 


MANUFACTURE . AND   COMMERCE, 


AN   ACCOUNT   OF   ITS   VARIOUS    MODES    OF     USE,    FROM     ITS     FIRST 
DISCOVERY    UNTIL    NOW. 


BY 

E.    R.    BILLINGS. 


WITH  ILLUSTKATIONS  BY  POPULAR  AETISTS. 


•  My  Lord,  this  sacred  herbe  which  never  offendlt, 
Is  forced  to  crave  your  favor  to  defend  it." 

Barclay. 

'But  oh,  what  witchcraft  of  a  stronger  kind. 
Or  cause  too  deep  for  human  search  to  find, 
Malies  earth-born  weeds  imperial  man  enslave,— 
Not  little  3ouls,  but  e'en  the  wise  and  brave !  " 

Abbuckle. 


HARTFORD,    CONN.: 

AMEKICAN    PUBLISHING    COMPANY, 

1875. 


^ 


Entered  according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1875,  by  the 

AMERICAN  PUBLISHING  CO., 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


Is  it  not  wondrous  strange  that  there  should  be 

Such  different  tempers  twixt  my  friend  and  me?  • 

I  burn  with  heat  when  I  tobacco  take. 

But  he  on  th'  other  side  with  cold  doth  shake : 

To  both  'tis  physick,  and  like  physick  works, 

The  cause  o'  th'  various  operation  lurks 

Not  in  tobacco,  which  is  still  the  same. 

But  in  the  difference  of  our  bodies  frame : 

What's  meat  to  this  man,  poison  is  to  that, 

And  what  makes  this  man  lean,  makes  that  man  fat ; 

What  quenches  one's  thirst,  makes  another  dry; 

And  what  makes  this  man  wel,  makes  that  man  dye. 

Thomas  Washbotonb,  D.  D. 

Thy  quiet  spirit  lulls  the  lab'ring  brain. 
Lures  back  to  thought  the  flights  of  vacant  mirth. 
Consoles  the  mourner,  soothes  the  couch  of  pain. 
And  wreathes  contentment  round  the  humble  hearth ; 
While  savage  warriors,  sof  ten'd  by  thy  breath, 
Unbind  the  captive,  hate  had  doomed  to  death. 

Rev.  Walter  Coltok. 

Whate'er  I  do,  where'er  I  be, 

My  social  box  attends  on  me ; 

It  warms  my  nose  in  winter's  snow, 

Refreshes  midst  midsummer's  glow ; 

Of  hunger  sharp  it  blunts  the  edge. 

And  softens  grief  as  some  alledge. 

Thus,  eased  of  care  or  any  stir, 

I  broach  my  freshest  canister; 

And  freed  from  trouble,  grief,  or  panic, 

I  pinch  away  in  snuff  balsamic. 

For  rich  or  poor,  in  peace  or  strife. 

It  smooths  the  rugged  path  of  life. 

Rev.  William  Kino. 

Hail  I  Indian  plant,  to  ancient  times  unknown— 
A  modern  truly  thou,  and  all  our  own ! 
Thou  dear  concomitant  of  nappy  ale. 
Thou  sweet  prolonger  of  an  old  man's  tale. 
Or,  if  thou'rt  pulverized  in  smart  rappee. 
And  reach  Sir  Fopling's  brain  (if  brain  there  be), 
He  shines  in  dedications,  poems,  plays, 
Soars  in  Pindarics,  and  asserts  the  bays ; 
Thus  dost  thou  every  taste  and  genius  hit- 
In  smoke  thou'rt  wisdom,  and  in  snuff  thou'rt  wit. 

Rev.  Mb.  Pbior, 


^  'hi 


/"> 


TO 

CH/RLE3   DUDX.EY   WAI^NEF^, 

Whose  ra're,  good  gifts  have  endeared  him  to  all 
lovers  of  the  English  tongue,  this  volume,  histori- 
cally and  praetieally  treating  of  one  of  the  greatest 
of  j)lants,  as  well  as  the  rarest  of  luxuries,  is  re- 
spectfully dedicated  ty 

The  Author. 


PEEFACE. 


Ever  since  the  discovery  of  tobacco  it  has  been  the  favorite 
theme  of  many  writers,  who  have  endeavored  to  shed  new  light 
on  the  origin  and  early  history  of  this  singular  plant.  Upwards 
of  three  hundred  volumes  have  been  written,  embracing  works  in 
nearly  all  of  the  languages  of  Europe,  concerning  the  herb  and  the 
various  methods  of  using  it.  Most  writers  have  confined  them- 
selves to  the  commercial  history  of  the  plant ;  while  others  have 
written  upon  its  medicinal  properties  and  the  various  modes  of 
preparing  it  for  use.  For  this  volume  the  Author  onlj'-  claims 
that  it  is  at  least  a  more  comprehensive  treatise  on  the  varieties 
and  cultivation  of  the  plant  than  any  work  now  extant.  A  full 
account  of  its  cultivation  is  given,  not  only  in  America,  but  also 
in  nearl}'  all  of  the  great  tobacco-producing  countries  of  the 
world.  The  history  of  the  plant  has  been  carefully  and  faithfully 
compiled  from  the  earliest  authorities,  that  portion  which  relates 
to  its  early  culture  in  Virginia  being  drawn  from  hitherto  unpub- 
lished sources.  Materials  for  such  a  work  have  not  been  found 
lacking.  European  authors  abound  with  allusions  to  tobacco  ; 
more  especially  is  it  true  of  English  writers,  who  have  celebrated 
its  virtues  in  poetry  and  song.  All  along  the  highways  and  by- 
paths of  our  literature  we  encounter  much  that  pertains  to  this 
"  queen  of  plants."  Considered  in  what  light  it  may,  tobacco 
must  be  regarded  as  the  most  astonishing  of  the  productions  of 
nature,  since  it  has,  in  the  short  period  of  nearly  four  centuries, 


fill  PREFACE. 

dominated  not  one  particular  nation,  but  the  whole  world,  both 
Christian  and  Pagan.  Ushered  into  the  Old  "World  from  the 
New  bj  the  great  colonizers — Spain,  England,  and  France — it 
attracted  at  once  the  attention  of  the  authors  of  the  period  as  a 
fit  subject  for  their  marvel-loving  pens.  It  has  been  the  aim  of 
the  writer  to  give  as  much  as  possible  of  the  existing  material 
to  be  had  concerning  the  early  persecution  waged  against  it, 
whether  by  Chiu-ch  or  State.  These  accounts,  while  they  invest 
with  additional  interest  its  early  use  and  introduction,  serve  as 
well  to  show  its  triumph  over  all  its  foes  and  its  vast  importance 
to  the  commerce  of  the  world.  This  work  has  been  prepared 
and  arranged,  not  only  for  the  instruction  and  entertainment  of 
the  users  of  tobacco,  but  for  the  benefit  of  the  cultivators  and 
manufacturers  as  well.  As  such  it  is  now  presented  to  the  public 
for  whatever  meed  of  praise  or  censure  it  is  found  to  deserve. 
Hartford,  Conn.,  1875. 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

...  22 

...  24 

...  25 

...  27 

...  28 

...  83 

...  35 

...  40 

...  44 

...  48 
...51 

...  57 

...  64 

...  66 

...  69 


1 .  Feoktispiece '  •  • 

2.  Tobacco  Stalks 

3.  Tobacco  Leaves 

4.  Bud  and  Flowers 

5.  Capsules.    (Fkuit  Bud.) 

6.  Suckers 

7.  Pkimitivb  Pipe 

8.  Kativk  S.moking 

9.  Old  Engkaving 

10.  The  Contrast 

11 .  .John  Rolfe 

12.  Virginia  Tobacco  Field.  1620 

13.  Buying  Wives 

14.  Growing  Tobacco  in  the  Streets 

15.  Natives  Growing  Tobacco 

16.  Destroying  Suckep.s 

17.  Carrying  Tobacco  to  Market 'f 

18.  Enriching  Plant-Bed ^ 

19.  Shipping  Tobacco ' 

20.  OhD  Engraving  of  Tobacco ^ 

21.  Sir  Walter  Raleigh 

22.  ENGLien  Gallants 

23.  Smoking  in  the  ITth  Century 

24.  Exhaling  through  the  Nose 

^  23.  Old  London  Ale-house 

26.  Punishment  fob  Snuff  Taking 

27.  Silver  Spittoons 

28.  The  Negro  Image 

■^  29.  Tobacco  and  Theology 

30.  Weighing  Smoke 

31.  Indian  Pipe „o 

82.  Sculptured  Pipe 

S3.  Pipe  of  Peace .. 

^34.  A  Model  Cigab 

35.  South  Amekicans  smoking 

86.  A  War  Pipe ^^ 

87.  Peace  Pipe 


X  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

38.  A  TCHiTKTCHi  Pipe 113 

'  39.  Turk  Smoking 145 

40.  Old  Ekglish  Pipes 148 

41.  Fkekcu  Pipes 149 

42.  Pipe  Colober 152 

43.  Gebman  Porcelain  Pipes 153 

44.  A  Persian  Water  Pipe 156 

45.  Searcuing  for  Amber 160 

46.  Fancy  Pipes 162 

47.  Clay  and  Reed  Pipes 164 

48.  Faiey  Pipes 166 

49.  Female  Smoking  in  Algiers 168 

50.  African  Pipe 170 

51.  Egyptian  Pipes 173 

52.  Japanese  Pipes 173 

53.  Engraved  Boxes 177 

54.  Tobacco  Jars 179 

55.  Tobacco  Stoppers 181 

56.  Lord  and  Lackey 185 

57.  Thb  Strange  Youth 190 

58.  Smokers  Readi;  g  Epigrams 193 

59.  The  Explosion 195 

60.  Theoky  against  Experience 199 

61.  A  Faithful  Attendant , 203 

62.  Newton  and  his  Pipe 207 

63.  Tennyson.  Smoking 209 

64.  Modern  Smokers 212 

65.  The  Artist , 215 

66.  The  Yankee  Smoker 216 

67.  A  Tobacco  Grater 220 

68.  Demi-jourxees 222 

69.  James  Gillespie 224 

70.  Fops  Taking  Snuff.    (From  an  old  print.) 226 

71.  Horn  S  nuff-boxes 227 

72.  Scotch  Snuff-mills 232 

73.  Sweeping  from  the  Pulpit 235 

74.  Snuff-mill,  a  Century  ago 240 

75.  Perfuming  Snuff 242 

76.  Fuegian  Snuff-Takers 24t 

77.  Snuff-Dipping 247 

78.  Snuffers 248 

79.  Fancy  Snuff-boxes 251 

80.  Curing  a  Headache 255 

81.  Hi  ghlanders 257 

■^82.  Cigars 260 

83.  Cigar-holders 262 

84.  Life  in  Mexico 266 

85.  Cuban  Cigar  Shop 268 

^86.  Tobacco  Leaf 271 

87.  Wenches  Smoking 274 

88.  A  Moonlight  Reverie  in  Havana 275 

89.  By  the  Sea 277 

90.  An  American  Smoker 279 

91.  "Light,  Sir?" 282 

92.  Bringing  a  Light 285 

\93.  Making  Cigars 288 

94.  Havasas 301 

95.  Yara  Cigars 303 

96.  Manilla  Cigar  and  Cheroot 304 

97.  Swiss  Cigars 306 

98.  Paraguay  Cigars 306 

99.  Connecticut  Tobacco  Field 312 


ILLUSTRATIONS.  XI 

PAGE. 

100.  Home  of  the  Connecticut  Planter S15 

101.  Negro  Quarters 317 

102.  The  Planter's  Home 318 

103.  "Burning  the  Patch." 322 

104.  Stringing  the  Primings 323 

105.  Worming 325 

106.  Ohio  Tobacco  Field 329 

107.  Tobacco  Warkuouse 331 

108.  Kentucky  Tobacco  Plantation 332 

109.  The  Kentucky  Planter 334 

110.  Florida  Tobacco  Plantation 336 

111.  Louisiana  Tobacco  Plantation 338 

112.  Mexican  Tobacco  Plantation 342 

113.  St.  Domingo  Tobacco  Field,  1535 315 

114.  A  Cuban  vega 316 

115.  Killing  Bugs  by  Kigut 348 

116.  Going  to  Market 349 

117.  German  Tobacco  Field 851 

\  118.  Dutch  Planters 355 

119.  Success  to  Von  Tromp 358 

120.  Tobacco  Field  in  Algiers 360 

121.  Tobacco  Field  in  Africa , 861 

122.  Tobacco  Field  in  Syria 363 

123.  Tobacco  Field  in  India 365 

"^124.  Turkish  Tobacco  going  to  Market 370 

125.  Japan  Tobacco  Field 371 

126.  Transplanting 372 

127.  Chinese  Tobacco  Field 373 

128.  Tobacco  Field  in  Persia 374 

129.  Growing  Tobacco  on  the  Philippine  Islands 377 

130.  Tobacco  Plow 378 

M31.  Spanish  Planters 380 

132.  Mexican  Dwarf  Tobacco 384 

133.  Connecticut  Seed  Leaf 385 

•    134.  Havana  Tobacco 387 

135.  Virginia  Tobacco 388 

136.  Ohio  White  Tobacco 389 

137.  Latakia  Tobacco  (Syria) 393 

138.  Orinoco  Tobacco  (Venezuela), 397 

139.  Shiraz  Tobacco  (Persia) 398 

"^140.  Spanish  Tobacco 400 

141.  Japan  Tobacco , 402 

142.  Old  Connecticut  Tobacco  Sued 406 

143.  Modern  Connecticut  Tobacco  Shed *07 

144.  Stripping  Koom 408 

145  Modern  Virginia  Shed 409 

146.  Virginia  Shed,  150  years  ago 410 

147.  Ohio  Tobacco  Shed 412 

148.  Persian  Tob.'^.cco  Shed 414 

149.  Making  the  Plant  Bed  in  Connecticut ■ 418 

150.  Covering  Plant  Bed 424 

151.  A  Tobacco  Ridger 430 

152.  Drawing  the  Dirt  Around  the  Foot 432 

153.  Transplanting 433 

154.  Transplanting 434 

155.  American  Transplanter 437 

156.  The  Worms 438 

157.  Worming  Tobacco 439 

158.  Topping 442 

159.  suckering 445 

160.  Cutting  the  Plants 446 

161.  Putting  on  Lath , 447 


Xll  ILLDSTKATIONS. 

PAGE 

162.  C ATtKTING  TO  THE  SHED 448 

163.  Stkipping 456 

164.  Hands 457 

165.  Stemming 460 

166.  Packing 461 

167.  Prizing  in  Olden  Times 464 

168.  Tobacco  Press 467 

169.  Firing 470 

170.  Spanish  Seed  Tobacco 473 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE    TOBACCO    PLANT. 


Botanical  Description— Ancient  Plant-Bed— Description  of  the  Leaves- 
Color  of  Leaves— Blossoms— The  Capsules  and  Seed— Selection  for 
Seed— Suckers— Kkoiiii£L-iiuaUtie&==M©diciiuil.__,Proj[)erU 
provement  in  Plants 


17 


CHAPTER  II. 

TOBACCO.       ITS    DISCOVEKV. 

Early  Use— Origmj)f  its  Xame— Early  Snuff-Taking-Tobacco  in  Mex- 
ico—Comparative  Qualities  of  Tobacco— Origin  of  the  Plant- 
Early  Mammoth  Cigars— Sacredness  of  the  Pipe— Early  Culti- 
vation—Proportions of  the  Tobacco  Trade— Variety  of  Ivinds— 
Tobacco  and   Commerce— Original  Culture 3 J 


CHAPTER  III. 

TOBACCO    IN   AMERICA. 

First  General  Planter— State  of  the  Colony— Conditions  pf  Raising 
Tobacco— Tobacco  Fields,  1620— Increase  of  Tobacco-Growing— 
Restriction  of  Tobacco-Growing— Tobacco  used  as  Money-King 
James  opposes  Tobacco-Growing-Buying  Wives  with  lobacco- 
Forei'^n  Tobacco  Prohibited-King  Charles  on  Tobacco-King 
Charles  as  a  Tobacco  Merchant-Tobacco  Taxed-Planting  in 
Maryland— Negro  Labor— Competition— Growing  Suckers— Virgin- 
ia Lands-Picture  of  Early  Planters-Large  Plantations-Getting 
to  Market-Virginia  Plant-Bed-Maryland  Plant-Bed-Tobacco 
Growing  in  New  York  and  Louisiana-New  England  Tobacco- 
Commercial  Value  of  Tobacco— Tobacco  a  Blessing ^t 

CHAPTER  IV. 

TOBACCO    IN    EUROPE. 

Introduction-The  Original  Importer-Wonderful  Cures-How  the  Herb 
grew  in  Reputation-Difference  of  Opinion-A  Smoker  s  Rhapsody 


CONTENTS. 

rl  Smokers— The  Queen  Herb— Drinking  Tobacco— Tobacco 
the  Stage — Shakespeare  on  Tobacco— Smoking  Taught— Ben 
Jonson  on  the  Weed — Curative  Qualities — Modes  of  Use — Held 
lip  to  Ridicule — Tirades  against  Tobacco — Tobacco  Selling — Royal 
Haters  of  Tobacco — Old  Customs — A  Racy  Poem — A  Smoking 
L>i  vine 80 

CHAPTER  V. 

TOBACCO  IX  EUROPE. — Continued. 

Popular  use  of  Tobacco— Tobacco  Glorified— Weight  of  Smoke— Anec- 
dotes— Triumph  of  Tobacco— A  Government  Monopoly — Tobacco  a 
Blessing .TTrrr.-^-TA. HI 

CHAPTER   VI. 

TOBACCO    PIPES,    SMOKING    AND    SMOKERS. 

Indian  Pipes— Material  for  Pipes — Legend  of  the  Red  Pipe — Chippewa 
Pipes — Making  the  Peace  Pipes — South  American  Pipes — Cigar- 
ettes— Tobacco  on  the  Amazon  River — Brazilian  Tobacco — Patago- 
nians  as  Smokers — Form  and  Material — Pipe  of  the  Bobeen  Indians 
— The  War  Pipe — Pipe  Sculpture — Smoking  in  Alaska — Smoking 
in  Russia — Smoking  in  Peru — Smoking  in  Turkey — Moderate  Smok- 
ing—Female Smoking— Early  Manufacture  of  Pipes — French  Pipes.  124 

CHAPTER  VII. 

PIPES  AND  SMOKERS. — contiuued. 

Meerschaum  Pipes — Coloring  Meerschaums — The  City  of  Smokers —  . 
Hudson  as  as  moker — Persian  Water  Pipes— Turkish  Pipes — Amber 
Mouth  Pieces— Obtaining  Amber— Its  Value— Variety  of  Pipes- 
History  of  Pipes— Ancient  Habit  of  Smoking— Buried  Pipes — 
Jasmine  Pipes— Smoking  in  Algiers— Smoking  in  Africa— Defence 
of  Smoking— Tea  and  Tobacco— Chinese  Pipes— Smoking  in  Japan 
— Tobacco  Boxes — Tobacco  Jars— Musings  over  a  Pipe— Sad  Fate  of 
a  Chewer— Triumph  of  the  Anti's— The  Smoker's  Calendar— Doc- 
tor Parr  as  a  Smoker — Smoking  on  the  Battle-Field — Literary  Smok- 
ers-Doctor Clarke  on  Tobacco— Noted  Smokers— Pleasant  Pipe 
— A  Tobacco  World— Cruelty  of  Smokers— Men  like  Pipes— Univer- 
sal Use  150 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

SNUFF,  SNUFF-BOXES  AND  SNUFF-TAKERS. 

Its  Introduction — Boxes  and  Graters — Mode  of  Preparation— Snuff- 
Boxes— A  Celebrated  Manufacturer— The  Snuffing  Period— The 
Monk  and  his  Snuff-Box— A  Pinch  of  Snuff— Pleasures  of  Smelling 
— Frederick  the  Great— Eminent  Snuff-Takers— The  Story  in 
Yerse— "  Come  to  my  Nose  " — Snuff  Manufacture — Preparation  of 
Tobacco— Grinding  the  Leaves— Flavoring  the  Snuff— Profits  Made 
— Love  of  Tobacco— Chewing  and  Dipping — Aavantages  of  Dipping 
— The  First  Snuffers— Famous  Snuff-Takers— Snuff  as  a  Pacificator 
— A  National  Stimulant— Different  Tastes— Rise  and  Progress  of 
Snuff-Taking 218 


CONTENTS.  'SV 

CHAPTER   IX. 


New  York  Cigars— Havana  Cigars— Quality  of  Havana  Cigars— Relative 
Value  and  Size— Cigar-Makers-CubanCigars— Cigar  Manufactories 
—Preparation  of  the  Tobacco— Sorting  the  Leaves— Sales,  etc.— 
Large  Factories— Universal  Smoking- Cigar  Etiquette— Reveries 
Summer-Day  Thoughts — American  Smokers — At  Home — Senti- 
ment—Ode to  a  Cigar— Cigar-Lighters— Smoking  an  Art— Science 
of  Lighting— Age  of  Fusees— "  Home-Made  Cigars  "—Female 
Cigar-Slakers— A  Spicy  Article— How  to  Smoke— Smoking  Chris- 
tians—Lamb's Poem— Tobacco  Compliment— Cigarette  Smoking— 
Thomas  Hood's  Cigar— Lord  Byron's  Opinion— Kinds  of  Cigars- 
Selecting  Cigars— Yara  Cigars— Manilla  Cigars— Swiss  Cigars- 
Paraguay  Cigars— Brazilian  Cigars— American  Cigars— Connecticut 
Seed°Leaf  and  Havana  Cigars— The  Exile's  Comfort 259 

CHAPTER  X. 

TOBACCO  PLANTERS  AND  PLANTATIONS. 

The  Connecticut  Planter— Intelligence  of  Tobacco  Growers— Best 
Connecticut  Seed  Leaf— Love  for  the  Plant— Virginia  Planters— 
A  Virginia  Plantation— The  Plant-Patch— Planting,  Toppmg  and 
Priming— Suckering— Crop-Gathering— Curing  and  Sorting— To- 
bacco Markets— Ohio  Tobacco— Mode  of  Cure— Kentucky  Tobacco- 
Growing— The  Kentucky  Planter— FloridaTobacco— Florida  Planta- 
tation— Tobacco  in  Lousiana— California  Tobacco  Lands— Mexican 
Tobacco— Plants  around  Vera  Cruz— Tobacco  in  St  Domingo- 
Cuba  Plantations— Mode  of  Working— Soil  and  Climate— Tobacco- 
Growing  in  Germany— Method  of  Culture— Extent  of  Culture— 
Tobacco-Raising  in  Prussia— Tobacco  in  Holland— Dutch  Planters— 
A  Plea  for  Tobacco— Tobacco  Culture  in  Australia— Arabian  Plan- 
tations—Tobacco in  Africa— Syrian  Tobacco— Latakia  Tobacco- 
Growing  Tobacco  in  India— Curing  Tobacco  in  India— Turks  Culti- 
vating Tobacco— Japanese  Tobacco— Persian  Tobacco— Tobacco 
Culture,  Philippine  Islands—Climate  of  the  Islands— Fragrant  ^ 
Manillas— Tropical  Tobacco ^^^ 

CHAPTER  XL 

VARIETIES. 

Kinds  used  for  Cigars— Dwarf  Tobacco— Havana  Tobacco— Yara  and 
Virginia  Tobacco— James  River  Tobacco— Ohio  Tobacco— South 
American  Tobacco  —  Celebrated  Brands  of  Tobacco —llussian 
Tobacco— Columbian  Tobacco— Tobacco  of  Brazil— The  Orinoco 
Tobacco— Persian  Tobacco— French  Tobacco— Spanisli  Tobacco—  ^ 
Japanese  Tobacco— Manilla  Tobacco 382 

CHAPTER  XII. 

TOBACCO    HOUSES. 

Tobacco  Sheds— Stripping  Houses— Virginia  Tobacco  Sheds— Ordinary 
Slieds— Superior  Sheds— Oluo  Sheds— Kentucky  and  Tennessee 
Sheds— Foreign  Tobacco  Sheds *05 


XVI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

TOBACCO    CULTURE. 

Hot  Beds — Virginia  Plant  Patch — Tennessee  Plant  Bed— Cuban  Plant 
Bed — Covering  Plant  Bed — Selection  of  Soil — The  Soil  Affecting 
Color — Preparing  the  Soil — Virginia  Methods — Burning  Brush — 
Implements —Transplanting  Plants — Setting — Seasons  in  Mexico 
and  Persia — The  American  Transplanter — Pests — Worming — Back- 
ward Plants — Topping — Suckers — Maturation — The  Harvest — Cut- 
ting— Hanging — Cutting  time  in  Cuba — Harvesting  in  Virginia — 
The  Sea^t>n  in  otiier^JiUices— Curing— Curing  by  Smoke — Yellow- 
Tobacco  —  Stripping — Assorting — Shading—  Stemming — Packing  — 
Casing — Old  Style — Kesistance  to  Dampness — Prizing — Marking — 
Baling— Certificates— Firing — White  Ru^t — Seed  Plants — Maturing 
of  Seed — Second  Growth 415 

CHAPTER   XIV. 

THE  PRODUCTION,  COMMERCE  AND  MANUFACTURE  OF  TOBACCO. 

Early  History  of  Tobacco — Cultivation  by  Spaniards  at  St.  Domingo-— 
Annual  Product  of  Cuba — Amount  of  Land  under  Cultivation  in 
U.  S. — Cultivation  in  the  South — Annual  Product  of  Europe,  Asia 
and  Africa — Government  Monopoly — Source  of  Revenue — Manu- 
facture of  Cigarettes — Increase  of  Tobacco  Culture 478 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE   TOBACCO    PLANT. 

OBACCO  is  a  hardy  flowering  annual*  plant, 
growing  freely  in  a  moist  fertile  soil  and  requiring 
the  most  thorough  culture  in  order  to  secure  the 
finest  form  and  quality  of  leaf.  It  is  a  native  of  the 
tropics  and  under  the  intense  rays  of  a  vertical  sun  develops 
its  flnest  and  most  remarkable  flavor  which  far  surpasses  the 
varieties  grown  in  a  temperate  region.  It  however  readily 
adapts  itself  to  soil  and  climate  growing  through  a  wide 
range  of  temperature  from  the  Equator  to  Moscow  in  Rus- 
sia in  latitude  56°,  and  through  all  the  intervening  range 
of  climate  f. 

The  plant  varies  in  height  according  to  species  and  locality  ; 
the  largest  varieties  reaching  an  altitude  of  ten  or  twelve  feet, 
in  others  not  growing  more  than  two  or  three  feet  from  the 
ground.  Botanists  have  enumerated  between  forty  and  fifty 
varieties  of  the  tobacco  plant  who  class  them  all  among  the 
narcotic  poisons.  When  properly  cultivated  the  plant  ripens 
in  a  few  weeks  growing  with  a  rapidity  hardly  equaled  by 
any .  product  either  temperate  or  tropical.  Of  the  large 
number  o"^  varieties  cultivated  scarcely  more  than  one-half 
are  grown  to  any  great  extent  while  many  of  them  are  hardly 
known  outside  of  the  limit  of  cultivation.  Tobacco  is  a 
strong  gr'^wing  plant  resisting  heat  and  drought  to  a  far 

•The  g;  fi  ■       'i.-nber  of  the  species  are  annnal  plants;  hut  two  at  least  are  perennial;  the 

JficoUa'  ;r  !,  which  Is  a  shrub,  a  native  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  of  China;  and 

Jf-  tire.  .f  South  America. 

"t  Tat  t  .'.he  tobacco  plant  is  peculiarly  adapted  for  an  agricultural  comparison 


of  ClllTi 


*'^."5«' 


¥/      «c.ii,^;:r. 


18  BOTANICAL  DESCF.IPTION. 

greater  extent  than  most  plants.  It  is  a  native  of  America, 
the  discovery  of  the  continent  and  the  plant  occurring  almost 
simiiltaneonslj.  It  succeeds  best  in  a  deep  rich  loam  in  a 
climate  ranging  from  forty  to  fifty  degrees  of  latitude.  After 
having  been  introduced  and  cultivated  in  nearly  all  parts  of 
the  world,  America  enjoys  the  reputation  of  growing  the 
finest  varieties  known  to  commerce.  European  tobacco  is 
lacking  in  flavor  and  is  less  powerful  than  the  tobacco  of 
America. 

The  botanical  account  of  tobacco  is  as  follows : — 

"  Nicotiana,  the  tobacco  plant  is  a  genus  of  plants  of  the 
order  of  Monogynia,  belonging  to  the  pentandria  class,  order 
1,  of  class  V.  It  bears  a  tubular  5-cleft  calyx ;  a  funnel- 
formed  corolla,  with  a  plaited  5-cleft  border ;  the  stamina 
inclined;  the  stigma  capitate ;  the  capsule  2-celled,  and  2  to 
4  valved." 

A  more  general  description  of  the  plant  is  given  by  an 
American  writer: — 

"  The  tobacco  plant  is  an  annual  growing  from  eighteen 
inches  (dwarf  tobacco)  to  seven  or  eight  feet  in  height*.  It 
bears  numerous  leaves  of  a  pale  green  color  sessile,  ovate 
lanceolate  and  pointed  in  form,  which  come  out  alternately 
from  two  to  three  inches  apart.  The  flowers  grow  in  loose 
panicles  at  the  extremity  of  the  stalks,  and  the  calyx  is  bell- 
shaped,  and  divided  at  its  summit  into  five  pointed  segments. 
The  tube  of  the  corolla  expands  at  the  top  into  an  oblong 
cup  terminating  in  a  5-lobed  plaited  rose-colored  border. 
The  pistil  consists  of  an  oval  germ,  a  slender  style  longer 
than  the  stamen,  and  a  cleft  stigma.  The  flowers  are  suc- 
ceeded by  capsules  of  2  cells  opening  at  the  summit  and 
containing  numerous  kidney-shaped  seeds." 

Two  of  the  finest  varieties  of  Nicotiana  Tobacum  that  arc 
cultivated  are  the  Oronoco  and  the  Sweet  Scented  ,  they  differ 
only  in  the  form  of  the  leaves,  those  of  the  latter  variety  being 
shorter  and  broader  than  the  other.  They  are  annual  herba- 
ceous plants,  rising  with  strong  erect  stems  to  the  height  of 
from  six  to  nine  feet,  with  fine  handsome  foliage.  The  stalk 
near  the  root  is  often  an  inch  or  more  in  diameter,  and 


•An  oM  English  writer  In  describing  tobacco  Bays  :— "  When  at  Its  Just  height,  It  is  as  tall 
08  an  ordinary  sized  man." 


ANCIENT  DESCRIPTION.  19 

surrounded  by  aliairj  clammy  substance,  of  a  greenlsb  yellow 
color.  The  leaves  arc  of  a  light  green  ;  they  grow  alternately, 
at  intervals  of  two  or  three  inches  on  the  stalk ;  they  are 
oblong  and  spear-shaped ;  those  lowest  on  the  stalk  are  about 
twenty  inches  in  length,  and  they  decrease  as  they  ascend. 

The  young  leaves  when  aloout  six  inches,  are  of  a  deep 
green  color  and  rather  smooth,  and  as  they  approach  maturity 
they  become  yellowish  and  rougher  on  the  surface.  The 
flowers  grow  in  clusters  from  the  extremities  of  the  stalk ; 
they  are  yellow  externally  and  of  a  delicate  red  within.  They 
are  succeeded  by  kidney  shaped  caj^sules  of  a  brown  color. 

Thompson  in  his  "  Notices  relative  to  Tobacco  "  desc^-ibes 
the  tobacco  plant  as  follows: — 

"  The  species  of  Nicotiana  which  was  first  known,  and 
which  still  furnishes  the  greatest  supply  of  Tobacco,  is  the 
N.  tobacum,  an  annual  plant,  a  native  of  South  America,  but 
naturalized  to  our  climate.  It  is  a  tall,  not  inelegant  plant, 
rising  to  the  height  of  about  six  feet,  with  a  strong,  round, 
villous,  slightly  viscid  stem,  furnished  with  alternate  leaves, 
■which  are  sessile,  or  clasp  the  stems ;  and  are  decurrent,  lan- 
ceolate, entire ;  of  a  full  green-  on  the  upper  surface,  and  pale 
on  the  under. 

"  In  a  vigorous  plant,  the  lower  leaves  are  about  twenty 
inches  in  length,  and  from  three  to  five  in  breadth,  decreasing 
as  they  ascend.  The  inflorescence,  or  flowering  part  of  the 
stem,  is  terminal,  loosely  branching  in  that  form  which 
botanists  term  a  panicle,  with  long,  linear  floral  leaves  or 
bractes  at  the  origin  of  each  division. 

"  The  flowers,  which  bloom  in  July  and  August,  are  of  a 
pale  pink  or  rose  color  :  the  calyx,  or  flower-cup,  is  bell-shaped, 
obscurely  pentangular,  villous,  slightly  viscid,  and  presenting 
at  the  margin  five  acute,  erect  segments.  The  corolla  is 
twice  the  length  of  the  calyx,  viscid,  tubular  below,  swelling 
above  into  an  oblong  cup,  and  expanding  at  the  lip  into  five 
somewhat  plaited,  pointed  segments ;  the  seed  vessel  is  an 
oblong  or  ovate  capsule,  containing  numerous  reniform  seeds, 
which  are  ripe  in  September  and  October ;  and  if  not  collected, 
are  shed  by  the  capsule  opening  at  the  apex." 

In  Stevens  and  Liebault's  Maison  Rustique,  or  the  Country 
Farm,  (London,  1606),  is  found  the  following  curious  account 
of  the  tobacco  plant : — 


20  ANCIENT  PLANT-BED. 

"This  herbe  resembleth  in  figure  fashion,  and  qualities, 
the  great  eomfrey  in  such  sort  as  that  a  man  woulde  deeme 
it  to  be  a  kinde  of  great  coinfrey,  rather  than  a  yellow  hen- 
bane, as  some  have  thought. 

"  It  hath  an  upright  stalke,  not  bending  any  way,  thicke, 
bearded  or  hairy,  and  slimy :  the  leaves  are  broad  and  long, 
greene,  drawing  somewhat  towards  a  yellow,  bearded  or 
hoarrie,  but  smootli  and  slimie,  having  as  it  were  talons,  but 
not  either  notched  or  cut  in  the  edges,  a  great  deale  bigger 
downward  toward  the  root  than  above :  while  it  is  young  it 
is  leaved,  as  it  were  lying  upon  the  ground,  but  rising  to  a 
stalke  and  growing  further,  it  ceaseth  to  have  such  a  number 
of  leaves  below,  and  putteth  forth  branches  from  half  foot  to 
half,  and  storeth  itselfe,  by  that  meanes  with  leaves,  and  still 
risetli  higher  from  the  height  of  four  or  five  foote,  unto  three 
or  four  or  five  cubits  according  as  is  sown  in  a  hot  and  fat 
ground,  and  carefully  tilled.  The  boughs  and  branches 
thereof  put  out  at  joints,  and  divide  the  stalk  by  distance  of 
half e  a  foote :  the  highest  of  which  branches  are  bigger  than 
an  arnie. 

"At  the  tops  and  ends  of  his  branches  and  boughs,  it  put- 
teth foorth  flowers  almost  like  those  of  Nigella,  of  a  whitish 
and  incarnate  color,  having  the  fashion  of  a  little  bell  com- 
ming  out  of  a  swad  or  husk,  being  of  the  fashion  of  a  small 
goblet,  which  hu&k  becometh  round,  having  the  fashion  of  a 
little  apple,  or  sword's  pummell :  as  soon  as  the  flower  is 
gone  and  vanished  away,  it  is  filled  with  very  small  seedes 
like  unto  those  of  yellow  henbane,  and  they  are  black  when 
they  be  ripe,  or  greene,  while  they  are  not  yet  ripe. 

"  In  a  hot  countree  it  beareth  leaves,  flowers,  and  seeds  at 
the  same  time,  in  the  ninth  or  tenth  month  of  the  year  it 
putteth  foorth  young  cions  at  the  roote,  and  reneweth  itself 
by  this  store  and  number  of  cions,  and  great  quantity  of 
sprouts,  and  yet  notwithstanding  the  roots  are  little,  small, 
fine  thready  strings,  or  if  otherwise  they  grow  a  little  thick, 
yet  remaine  they  still  very  short,  in  respect  of  the  height  of 
the  plant.  The  roots  and  leaves  do  yield  a  glewish  and 
rosinith  kind  of  juice,  somewhat  yellow,  of  a  rosinlike  smell, 
not  unpleasant,  and  of  a  sharpe,  eager  and  biting  taste,  which 
sheweth  that  it  is  by  nature  hot,  whereupon  we  must  gather 
that  it  is  no  kind  of  yellow  henbane  as  some  have  thought. 
Nicotiana  craveth  a  fat  ground  well  stird,  and  well  manured 
also  in  this  cold  countrie  (England)  that  is  to  say  an  earth, 
wherein  the  manure  is  so  well  mingled  and  incorporated,  as 


THE  PLANT.  21 

that  it  becometh  eartliie,  that  is  to  say,  all  turned  into  earth, 
and  not  making  any  shew  any  more  of  dung :  which  is  like- 
wise moist  and  shadowie,  wide  and  roomy,  for  in  a  narrow 
and  straight  place  it  would  not  grow  high,  straight,  great  and 
well-braifched. 

"  It  desireth  the  South  sun  before  it,  and  a  wall  behind  it, 
which  may  stand  iu  stead  of  a  broad  pair  of  shoulders  to  keep 
away  the  northern  wind  and  to  beate  backe  againe  the  heat  of 
the  sun.  It  groweth  the  better  if  it  be  oft  watered,  and 
maketh  itself  sport  and  jolly  good  cheer  with  water  when  the 
time  becometh  a  little  dry.  It  hatetli  cold,  and  therefore  to 
keepe  it  from  dying  in  winter,  it  must  be  either  kept  in  cel- 
lars where  it  may  have  free  benefit  of  air,  or  else  in  some 
cave  made  on  purpose  within  the  same  garden,  or  else  to 
cover  it  as  with  a  cloak  very  well  with  a  double  mat,  making 
a  penthouse  of  wicker  work  from  the  wall  to  cover  the  head 
thereof  with  straw  laid  thereupon  :  and  when  the  southern 
sun  shineth,  to  open  the  door  of  the  covert  made  for  the  said 
herb  right  upon  the  said  South  sun." 

The  most  ludicrous  part  of  "  The  discourse  on  Nicotian  " 
will  be  found  in  that  portion  which  relates  to  the  making  of 
the  plant-bed  and  transplanting : — 

"  For  to  sow  it,  you  must  make  a  hole  in  the  earth  with 
your  finger  and  that  as  deep  as  your  finger  is  long,  then  you 
must  cast  into  the  same  hole  ten  or  twelve  seeds  of  the  said 
Nicotiana  together,  and  till  up  the  hole  again :  for  it  is  so 
small,  as  that  if  you  should  put  in  but  four  or  five  seeds  the 
earth  would  choake  it :  and  if  the  time  be  dry,  you  must 
water  the  place  easily  some  five  days  after :  And  when  the 
herb  is  grown  out  of  the  earth,  inasinucli  as  every  seed  will 
have  put  up  his  sprout  and  stalk,  and  that  the  small  thready 
roots  are  intangled  the  one  within  the  other,  you  must  with 
a  great  knife  make  a  composs  within  the  earth  in  the  places 
about  this  plot  where  they  grow  and  take  up  the  earth  and 
all  together,  and  cast  them  into  a  bucket  full  of  water,  to  the 
end  that  the  earth  may  be  seperated,  and  the  small  and  ten- 
der impes  swim  about  the  water ;  and  so  you  shall  sunder 
them  one  after  another  without  breaking  of  them."     '^     * 

THE  STALK. 

The  Tobacco  stalk  varies  with  tlie  varieties  of  the  plant. 
All  of  the  species  .jultivated  in  the  United  States  have  stalks 
of  a  large  size — much  larger  than  many  varieties  grown  in 


22 


TOBACCO  PLANT. 


TOBACCO    STALKS. 


the  tropics.     Those  of  some  species  of  tobacco  are  little  and 

easily  broken,  which  to  a  certain  extent  is  the  case  with  most 

varieties  of  the  plant  when  maturing  very  fast.     The  stalks 

of  some  plants  are  rough  and  uneven, 

while  those  of    others  are  smooth. 

Nearly  all,  including  most  of   those 

grown  in  Europe  and  America,  have 

erect,  round,  hairy,  viscid  stalks,  and 

large,   fibrous   roots;  while  that  of 

Spanish  as  well  as  dwarf  tobacco  is 

harder  and  much  smaller.    The  stalk 

is  composed  of  a  wood-like  substance 

containing  a  glutinous  pith,  and   is 

of  about  the  same  shade  of  color  as 

the   leaves.      As  the  plant  develops 

in  size  the  stalk  hardens,  and  when 

fully  grown  is  not  easily  broken. 

The  size  of  the  stalk  corresponds  with  that  of  the  leaves, 
and  with  such  varieties  of  the  plant  as  Connecticut  seed  leaf, 
Virginia,  Kentucky,  Ohio,  St.  Domingo,  and  some  others ; 
both  will  be  found  to  be  larger  than  Spanish,  Latakia,  and 
Syrian  tobacco,  which  have  a  much  smaller  but  harder  stalk. 
It  will  readily  be  seen  that  the  stalk  must  be  strong  and  lirm 
in  order  to  support  the  large  palm-like  leaves  which  on  some 
varieties  grow  to  a  length  of  nearly  four  feet  with  a  corre- 
sponding breadth.  The  stalk  does  not  "cure  down"  as  fast 
as  the  leaves,  which  is  thought  now  to  be  net3essary  in  order 
to  prevent  sweating,  as  well  as  to  hasten  the  curing.  Most 
of  the  varieties  of  the  plant  have  an  erect,  straight  stalk, 
excepting  Syrian  tobacco,  which  near  the  top  describes  more 
of  a  semi-circle,  but  not  to  that  extent  of  giving  an  idea  of 
an  entirely  crooked  plant.  The  stalk  gradually  tapers  from 
the  base  to  the  summit,  and  when  deprived  of  its  leaves 
presents  a  smooth  appearance  not  unlike  that  of  a  small  tree 
or  shrub  deprived  of  its  twigs  and  leaves. 

THE  LEAVES. 
The  Plant  bears  from  eight  to  twenty  leaves  according  to 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  LEAVES.  "    23 

the  species  of  the  plant.  They  have  various  forms,  ovate, 
lanceolate,  and  pointed.  Leaves  of  a  lanceolate  form  are  the 
largest,  and  the  shape  of  those  found  on  most  varieties  of  the 
American  plant.  The  color  of  the  leaves  when  growing,  as 
well  as  after  curing  and  sweating,  varies,  and  is  frequently 
caused  by  the  condition  of  the  soil.  The  color  while  grow- 
ing may  be  either  a  light  or  dark  green,  which  changes  to  a 
yellowish  cast  as  the  plant  matures  and  ripens.  The  ground 
leaves  are  of  a  lighter  color  and  ripen  earlier  than  the  rest — 
sometimes  turning  yellow,  and  during  damp  weather  rotting 
and  dropping  from  the  stalk.  Some  varieties  of  the  plant, 
like  Latakia,  bear  small  but  thick  leaves,  which  after  cutting 
are  very  thin  and  fine  in  texture  ;  while  others,  like  Connecti- 
cut seed  leaf  and  Havana,  bear  leaves  of  a  medium  thickness, 
which  are  also  fine  and  silky  after  curing.  But  while  the 
color  of  the  plant  when  growing  is  either  a  light  or  dark 
green,  it  rapidly  changes  daring  curing,  and  especially  after 
passing  through  the  sweat,  changing  to  a  light  or  dark  cinna- 
mon like  Connecticut  seed  leaf,  black  like  Holland  and 
Perique  tobacco,  bright  yellow  of  the  finest  shade  of  Virginia 
and  Carolina  leaf,  brown  like  Sumatra,  or  dark  red  like  that 
knowm  by  the  name  of  "  Boshibaghli,"  grown  in  Asia  Minor. 
The  leaves  are  covered  with  glandular  hairs  containing  a 
glutinous  substance  of  an  unpleasant  odor,  which  characterizes 
all  varieties  as  well  as  nearly  all  parts  of  the  plant. 

The  leaves  of  all  varieties  of  tobacco  grow  the  entire 
length  of  the  fetem  and  clasp  the  stalk,  excepting  those  of 
Syrian,  ^lich  are  attached  by  a  long  stem.  The  size  of  the 
leaves,  a«  well  as  the  entire  plant,  is  now  much  larger  than 
when  first  discovered.  One  of  the  early  voyagers  describes 
the  plant  as  short  and  ^bearing  leaves  of  about  the  size  and 
shape  of  the  walnut.  In  many  varieties  the  leaves  grow  in  a 
eemi-circular  form  while  in  others  they  grow  almost  straight 
and  still  others  growing  erect  presenting  a  singular  appear- 
ance. The  stem  or  mid-rib  running  through  the  leaf  is  large 
and  fibrous  and  its  numerous  smaller  veins  proportionally 
larger  which  on  curing  become  smaller  and  particularly  in 


24 


COLOR  OF  LEAVES. 


those  kinds  best  adapted  for  cigar  wrappers.  The  leaves 
from  the  base  to  the  center  of  the  plant  are  of  about  equal 
size  but  are  smaller  as  they  reach  the  summit,  but  after 


TOBACCO    LEAVES. 


topping  attain  about  the  same  size  as  the  others.  The  color 
of  the  leaf  after  curing  may  be  determined  by  the  color  of 
the  leaf  while  growing — if  dark  green  while  maturing  in  the 
field,  the  color  will  be  dark  after  curing  and  sweating  and 
the  reverse  if  of  a  lighter  shade  of  green. 

If  the  soil  be  dark  the  color  of  the  leaf  will  be  darker  than 
if  grown  upon  a  light  loam.  Some  varieties  of  the  plant 
have  leaves  of  a  smooth  glossy  appearance  while  others  are 
rough  and  the  surface  uneven — more  like  a  cabbage  leaf,  a 
peculiar  feature  of  the  tobacco  of  Syria.  The  kind  of  fertil- 
izers applied  to  the  soil  also  in  a  measure  as  well  as  the  soil 
itself  has  much  to  do  with  the  texture  or  body  of  the  leaf 
and  should  be  duly  considered  by  all  growers  of  the  plant. 
A  light  moist  loam  should  be  chosen  for  the  tobacco  field  if 
a  leaf  of  light  color  and  texture  is  desired  while  if  a  dark  leaf 
is  preferred  the  soil  chosen  should  be  a  moist  heavy  loam. 

THE  FLOWER. 

The  flowers  of  the  tobacco  plant  grow  in  a  bunch  or  cluster 
on  the  summit  of  the  plant  and  are  of  a  pink,  yellow,  or 
purple  white  color  according  to  the  variety  of  the  plant.  On 
most  varieties  the  color  of  the  flowers  is  pink  excepting 
Syrian  or  Latakia  which  bears  yellow  flowers  while  those  of 


BLOSSOMS. 


25 


Shiraz  or  Persian  and  Guatemala  are  white  while  those  of  the 
Japan  tobacco,  are  purple.  The  segments  of  the  corolla  are 
pointed  but  on  some  varieties  unequal,  particularly  that  of 
Shiraz  tobacco.  The  flowers  impart  a  pleasant  odor  doubt- 
less to  all  lovers  of  the  weed  but  to  all  others  a  compound  of 
villainous  smells  among  which  and  above  all  the  rest  may  be 
recognized  an  odor  suggestive  of  the  leaves  of  the  plant. 
"When  in  full  blossom  a  tobacco  field   forms  a  pleasant 


BUD   Airo    FLOWERS. 


feature  of  a  landscape  which  is  greatly  heightened  if  the 
plants  are  large  and  of  equal  size.  The  pink  flowers  are  the 
largest  while  those  of  a  yellow  color  are  the  smallest.  The 
plant  comes  into  blossom  a  few  weeks  before  fully  ripe  when 
with  a  portion  of  the  stalk  they  are  broken  off*  to  hasten  the 
ripening  and  maturing  of  the  leaves.  After  the  buds  appear 
they  blossom  in  a  few  days  and  remain  in  full  bloom  two  or 
three  weeks,  when  they  perish  like  the  blossoms  of  other 
plants  and  flowers.  The  flowers  of  Havana  tobacco  are 
of  a  lighter  pink  than  those  of  Connecticut  tobacco  but  are 
rot  as  large — a  trifle  larger  however  than  those  of  Latakia 
tobacco.  Those  varieties  of  the  tobacco  plant  bearing  pink 
flowers  are  the  finest  flavored  and  are  used  chiefly  for  the 
manufacture  of  cigars  while  those  bearing  yellow  flowers  are 
better  adapted  for  cutting  purposes  and  the  pipe. 

The  American  varieties  of  tobacco  bear  a  larger  number  of 


26  THE  CAPSULE  AND  SEED. 

flowers  than  European  tobaccos  or  those  of  Africa  or  Asia. 
The  color  of  the  flowers  remain  the  same  whether  cultivated 
in  one  country  or  another  while  the  leaves  may  grow  larger 
or  smaller  according  to  the  system  of  cultivation  adopted. 
Those  varieties  of  the  plant  with  heart-shaped  leaves  have 
paniculated  flowers  with  nnequal  cups.  The  flower  stems  on 
the  American  varieties  are  much  longer  than  those  of  Euro- 
pean tol)accos  and  also  larger.  The  season  has  much  to  do 
with  the  size  of  the  flowers  ;  as  if  very  dry  they  are  usually 
smaller  and  not  as  numerous  as  if  grown  under  more  favorable 
circumstances. 

THE  CAPSULE. 

As  soon  as  the  flowers  drop  from  the  fruit  bud  the 
capsules  grow  very  rapidly  until  they  have  attained  full 
size — which  occurs  only  in  those  plants  which  have  been 
left  for  seed  and  remain  untopped:  When  topped  they  are 
not  usually  full  grown — as  some  growers  top  the  plants  when 
just  coming  into  blossom,  while  others  prefer  to  top  the 
plants  when  in  full  bloom  and  others  still  when  the  blossoms 
begin  to  fall.  The  fruit  is  described  by  Wheeler  "  as  a  capsule 
of  a  nearly  oval  flgure.  There  is  a  line  on  each  side  of  it, 
and  it  contains  two  cells,  and  opens  at  the  top.  The  recepta- 
cles one  of  a  half-oval  flgure,  punctuated  and  affixed  to  the  sep- 
arating body.  The  seeds  are  numerous,  kidney-shaped,  and 
rugose." 

Most  growlers  of  the  plant  would  describe  the  fruit  bud  as 
follows  :  In  form  resembling  an  acorn  though,  more  pointed 
at  ihe  top ;  in  some  species,  of  a  dark  brown  in  others  of  a 
light  brown  color,  containing  two  cells  filled  with  seeds 
similar  in  shape  to  the  fruit  bud,  but  not  rugose  as  described 
by  some  botanists.  Some  writers  state  that  each  cell  contains 
about  one  thousand  seeds.  The  fruit  buds  of  Connecticut. 
Virginia,  Kentucky  and  Ohio  Tobacco  as  well  as  of  most  of 
the  varieties  grown  within  the  limits  of  the  United  States  are 
much  larger  than  those  of  Havana,  Yara,  Syrian,  and 
numerous  other  species  of  the  plant,  while  the  color  of  these 
last  named  varieties  is  a  liirhter  shade  of  brown.     The  color 


SELECTION  FOR  SEED. 


27 


of  the  seed  also  varies  according  to  the  varieties  of  the  plant. 
The  seeds  of  some  species  are  of  a  dark  brown  while  others 
are  of  a  lighter  shade.  The  seeds,  however,  are  so  small  that 
the  variety  to  which  they  belong  cannot  be  determined 
except  by  planting  or  sowing  them. 

The  plants  selected  for  seed  are  usually  left  growing  until 
late  in  the  season,  and  at  night  should  be  protected  from  the 
cold  and  frost  by  a  light  covering  of  some  kind — this  may 
not  be  absolutely  necessary,  as  most  growers  of  tobacco  have 
often  noticed  young  plants  growing  around  the  base  or  roots 
of  the  seed  stalk — the  seeds  of  which  germinated  although 


CAPSULES,     (fruit  bud.) 

remaining  in  the  ground  during  the  winter.  Strong,  healthy 
plants  generally  produce  large,  well  filled  capsules  the  only 
ones  to  be  selected  by  the  grower  if  large,  fine  plants  are 
desired.  Many  growers  of  tobacco  have  doubtless  examined 
the  capsules  of  some  species  of  the  plant  and  frequently 
observed  that  the  capsules  or  fruit  buds  are  often  scarcely 
more  than  half-filled  while  others  contain  but  a  few  seeds. 
The  largest  and  finest  capsules' on  the  plant  mature  first, 
while  the  smaller  ones  grow  much  slower  and  are  frequently 
several  weeks  changing  from  green  to  brown.  Many  of  the 
capsules  do  not  contain  any  seed  at  all. 

THE   SUCKER. 

The  offshoots  or  suckers  as  they  are  termed,  make  their 
appearance  at  the  junction  of  the  leaves  and  stalk,  about  the 
roots  of  the  plant,  the  result  of  that  vigorous  growth  caused 
by  topping.     The  suckers  can  hardly  be  seen  until  after  the 


28 


SUCKERS. 


plant  has  been  topped,  when  they  come  forward  rapidly  and 
in  a  short  time  develop  into  strong,  vigorous  shoots.  Tatham 
describing  the  sucker  says : 

"  The  sucker  is  a  superfluous  sprout  which  is  wont  to  make 
its  appearance  and  shoot  forth  from  the  stem  or  stalk,  near 
to  the  junction  of  the  leaves  with  the  stems,  and  about  the 
root  of  the  plant,  and  if  allowed  to  grow,  injuring  the  market- 
able quality  of  the  tobacco  by  compelling  a  division  of  its 
nutriment  during  the  act  of  maturation.  The  planter  is 
therefore  careful  to  destroy  these  intruders  with  the  thumb 
nail,  as  in  the  act  of  topping.  This  superfluity  of  vegetation, 
like  that  of  the  top,  has  been  often  the  subject  of  legislative 
care ;  and  the  policy  of  supporting  the  good  name  of  the 
Virginia  produce  has  dictated  the  wisdom  of  penal  laws  to 
maintain  her  good  faith  against  imposition  upon  strangers 
who  trade  with  her." 

The  ripening  of  the  suckers  not  only  proves  injurious  to 
the  quality  of  the  leaf  but  retards  their  size  and  maturity 
and  if  allowed  to  continue,  prevents  them  from  attaining 
their  largest  possible  growth. 

On  large,  strong,  growing  plants  the  growth  of  suckers  is 


very  rank  after  attaining  a  length  of  from  six  to  ten  inches, 
and  when  fully  grown  bearing  flowers  like  the  parent  stalk. 
After  growing  for  a  length  of  time  they  become  tough  and 
attached  so  firmly  to  the  stem  of  the  leaf  and  stalk  that  thej 


NICOTINE  QUALITIES.  29 

are  broken  off  with  difficulty,  frequently  detaching  the  leaf 
with  them.  The  growth  of  the  suckers,  however,  determines 
the  quality  as  well  as  the  maturity  of  the  plants. 

Weak,  spindling  plants  rarely  produce  large,  vigorous 
shoots,  the  leaves  of  such  suckers  are  generally  small  and  of 
a  yellowish  color.  When  the  plants  are  fully  ripe  and  ready 
to  harvest  the  suckers  will  be  found  to  be  growing  vigorously 
around  the  root  of  the  plant.  This  is  doubtless  the  best 
evidence  of  its  maturity,  more  reliable  by  far  than  any  other 
as  it  denotes  the  ripening  of  the  entire  plant.  Suckering 
the  plants  hastens  the  ripening  of  the  leaves,  and  gives  a 
lighter  shade  of  color,  no  matter  on  what  soil  the  plants  are 
grown.  Having  treated  at  some  length  of  the  various  parts 
of  the  tobacco  plant — stalk,  leaves,  flowers,  capsules  and 
suckers  we  come  now  to  its  nicotine  properties.  The 
tobacco  plant,  as  is  well  known,  produces  a  virulent  poison 
known  as  Nicotine.  This  property,  however,  as  well  as 
others  as  violent  is  found  in  many  articles  of  food,  includ- 
ing the  potato  together  with  its  stalk  and  leaves  ;  the  effects 
of  which  may  be  experienced  by  chewing  a  small  quantity 
of  the  latter.     The  New  Edinburgh  Encyclopedia  says : 

"  The  peculiar  effect  produced  by  using  tobacco  bears  some 
resemblance  to  intoxication  and  is  excited  by  an  essential 
oil  which  in  its  pure  state  is  so  powerful  as  to  destroy  life 
even  in  very  minute  quantity." 

Chemistry  has  taught  us  tliat  nicotine  is  only  one  among 
many  principles  which  are  contained  in  the  plant.  It  is 
supposed  by  many  but  not  substantiated  by  chemical 
research  that  nicotine  is  not  the  flavoring  agent  which  gives 
tobacco  its  essential  and  peculiar  varieties  of  odor.  Such 
are  most  probably  given  by  the  essential  oils,  which  vary  in 
amount  in  different  species  of  the  plant. 

An  English  writer  says  : 

"  Nicotine  is  disagreeable  to  the  habitual  smoker,  as  is 
proved  by  the  increased  demand  for  clean  pipes  or  which  by 
some  mechanical  contrivance  get  rid  of  the  nicotine." 

The  late  Dr.  Blotin  tested  by  numerous  experiments  the 
effects  of  nicotine  on  the  various  parts  of  the  organization  of 


30  MEDICINAL  PROPERTIES. 

man.  While  the  physiological  effects  of  nicotine  may  bo 
interesting  to  the  medical  practitioner,  they  will  hardly  inter- 
est the  general  reader  unless  it  can  be  shown  that  the  effects 
of  nicotine  and  tobacco  shovdd  be  proved  to  be  indentical. 

We  are  loth  to  leave  this  subject,  however,  as  it  is  so 
intimately  connected  with  the  history  of  the  plant,  without 
treating  somewhat  of  its  medicinal  properties  which  to  many 
are  of  more  interest  than  its  social  qualities.  The  Indians 
not  only  used  the  plant  socially,  religiously,  but  medicinally. 
Their  Medicine  men  prescribed  its  use  in  various  ways  for 
most  diseases  common  among  them.  The  use  thus  made  of 
the  plant  attracted  the  attention  of  the  Spanish  and  English, 
far  more  than  its  use  either  as  a  means  of  enjoyment  or  as  a 
religious  act.  When  introduced  to  the  Old  World,  its  claims 
as  a  remedy  for  most  diseases  gave  it  its  popularity  and 
served  to  increase  its  use.  It  was  styled  ^^Sana  sancta 
Indorum — "  '-'- Herbe  jpropre  d  tous  maux^''  and  physicians 
claimed  that  it  was  "  the  most  sovereign  and  precious  weed 
that  ever  the  earth  tendered  to  the  use  of  man."  As  early 
as  1610,  three  years  after  the  London  and  Plymouth  Compa- 
nies settled  in  Virginia,  and  some  years  before  it  began  to  be 
cultivated  by  them  as  an  article  of  export,  it  had  attracted 
the  attention  of  English  physicians,  who  seemed  to  take  as 
much  delight  in  writing  of  the  sanitary  uses  of  the  herb  as 
they  did  in  smoking  the  balmy  leaves  of  the  j^lant. 

Dr.  Edmund  Gardiner,  "  Practitioner  of  Physicke,"  issued 
in  1610  a  volume  entitled,  "  The  Triall  of  Tobacco,"  setting 
forth  its  curative  powers.     Speaking  of  its  use  he  says: 

"  Tobacco  is  not  violent,  and  therefore  may  in  my  judge- 
ment l)ee  safely  put  in  practise.  Thus  then  you  plainly  see 
that  all  medicines,  and  especially  tobacco,  being  rightly  aijd 
rationally  used,  is  a  noble  medicine  and  contrariwise  not  in 
his  due  time  with  other  circumstances  considered,  it  doth  no 
more  than  a  nobleman's  shooe  doth  in  healing  the  gout  in 
the  foot." 

Dr.  Verner  of  Bath,  in  his  Treatise  concerning  the  taking 
the  fume  of  tobacco  (1637)  says  that  when  "  taken  moderately 
and  at  fixed  times  with  its  proper  adjunct,  which  (as  they  doe 


IMPROVEMENT  IN  PLANTS.  81 

suppose)  is  a  cup  of  sack,  they  think  it  be  no  bad  physick." 
Dr.  William  Barclay  in  his  work  on  Tobacco,  (1614) 
declares  "  that  it  worketh  wonderous  cures."  He  not  only 
defends  the  herb  but  the  "  land  where  it  groweth."  At  this 
time  the  tobacco  plant  like  Indian  Corn  was  very  small, 
possessing  but  few  of  the  qualities  now  required  to  make  it 
merchantable.  When  first  exported  to  Spain  and  Portugal 
from  the  West  Indies  and  South  America,  and  even  by  the 
English  from  Virginia,  the  leaf  was  dark  in  color  and  strong 
and  rank  in  flavor.  This,  however,  seems  to  have  been  the 
standard  in  regard  to  some  varieties  while  others  are  spoken 
of  by  some  of  the  early  writers  npon  tobacco  as  "  sweet." 

The  tobacco  (uppowoc)  grown  by  the  Indians  in  America, 
at  the  time  of  its  discovery,  and  more  particularly  in  North 
America,  would  compare  better  with  the  suckers  of  the 
largest  varieties  of  the  plant  rather  than  with  even  the  small- 
est species  of  the  plant  now  cultivated.  At  the  present  time 
tobacco  culture  is  considered  a  science  in  order  to  secure  the 
colors  in  demand,  and  that  are  fashionable,  and  also  the 
right  texture  of  leaf  now  so  desirable  in  all  tobaccos  designed 
for  wrappers.  Could  the  Indians,  who  cultivated  the  plant 
on  the  banks  of  the  James,  the  Amazon  and  other  rivers  of 
America,  now  look  upon  the  plant  growing  in  rare  luxuriance 
upon  the  same  fields  where  they  first  raised  it,  they  could 
hardly  realize  them  to  be  the  same  varieties  that  they  had 
previously  planted. 


CHAPTER  II. 

TOBACCO.     ITS   DISCOVEEY. 

•EAELY  four  hundred  years  have  passed  away 
since  the  tobacco  plant  and  its  nse  was  introduced 
to  the  civilized  world.  It  was  in  the  month  of 
ISTovember,  1492,  that  the  sailors  of  Columbus  in 
exploring  the  island  of  Cuba  first  noted  the  mode  of  using 
tobacco.  They  found  the  Indians  carrying  lighted  firebrands 
(as  they  at  first  supposed)  and  puffed  the  smoke  inhaled  from 
their  mouths  and  nostrils. 

The  Spaniards  concluded  that  this  was  a  method  common 
with  them  of  perfuming  themselves;  but  its  frequent  use  soon 
taught  them  that  it  was  the  dried  leaves  of  a  plant  which 
they  burned  inhaling  and  exhaling  the  smoke.  It  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  Spaniards  no  less  from  its  novelty  than 
from  the  effect  produced  by  the  indulgence. 

The  use  of  tobacco  by  the  Indians  was  entirely  new  to  the 
Spanish  discoverers  and  when  in  1503  they  landed  in  various 
parts  of  South  America  they  found  that  both  chewing  and 
smoking  the  herb  was  a  common  custom  w,ith  the  natives. 
But  while  the  Indians  and  their  habits  attracted  the  attention 
of  the  Spanish  sailors  Columbus  was  more  deeply  interested 
in  the  great  continent  and  the  luxuriant  tropical  growth  to 
be  seen  on  every  hand.     Columbus  himself  says  of  it : — 

"Everything  invited  me  to  settle  here.  The  beauty  of 
the  streams,  the  clearness  of  the  water,  through  which  I 
could  see  the  sandy  bottom ;  the  multitude  of  palm-trees  of 
different  kinds,  the  tallest  and  finest  I  had  ever  seen ;  and 
an  infinite  number  of  other  large  and  flourishing  trees  ;  the 


EARLY  USE. 


33 


birds,  and  the  verdure  of  the  plains,  are  so  amazingly  beauti- 
ful, tliat  this  country  exeelles  all  others  as  far  as  the  day  sur- 
passes the  night  in  splendor." 

Lowe,   gives  the  following  account  of   the  discovery  of 
tobacco  and  its  uses : — 

-  "  The  discovery  of  this  plant  is  supposed  to  have  been 
made  by  Fernando  Cortez  in  Yucatan  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
where  he  found  it  used  universally,  and  held  in  a  species  of 
veneration  by  the  simple  natives.  He  made  himself  ac- 
quainted with  the  uses  and  supposed  virtues  of  the  plant  and 
the  manner  of  cultivating  it,  and  sent  plants  to  Spain,  as  part 
of  the  spoils  and  treasures  of  his  new-found  World." 

Oviedo  *  is  the  first  author  who  gives  a  clear  account  of 
smoking  among  the  Indians  of  Hispaniolaf.  He  alludes  to 
it  as  one  of  their  evil  customs  and  used  by  them  to  produce 
insensibility.  Their  mode  of  using 
it  was  by  inhalation  and  expelling! 
the  smoke  through,  the  nostrils  by 
means  of  a  hollow  forked  cane  or 
hollow  reed.  Oviedo  describes  them 
as  "  about  a  span  long ;  and  when 
used  the  forked  ends  are  inserted  in 
the  nostrils,  the  other  end  being  ap- 
plied to  the  burning  leaves  of  the 
herb,  using  the  herb  in  this  manner 
stupefied  them  producing  a  kind  of 
intoxication." 

Of  the  early  accounts  of  the  plant  and  its  use,  Beckman  a 
German  writer  says  : — 

"In  1496,  Romanus  Pane,  a  Spanish  monk,  whom  Colum- 
bus, on  his  second  departure  from  America,  had  left  in  that 
country,  published  the  first  account  of  tobacco  with  which  he 
became  acquainted  in  St.  Domingo.  He  gave  it  the  name  of 
Colioba  Cohobba,  Gioia.  In  1535,  the  negroes  had  already 
habituated  themselves  to  the  use  of  tobacco,  and  cultivated  it 
in  the  plantations  of  their  masters.  Europeans  likewise  al- 
ready smoked  it." 

'    An  early  writer  thus  alludes  to  the  use  of  tobacco  among 
the  East  Indians : — 


PRIMITIVB   PIPB, 


*  HlBtorla  General  de  los  InclIoB  1526. 
t  St.  Domingo. 

3 


34  ORIGIN  OF  ITS  NAME. 

"  The  East  Indians  do  use  to  make  little  balls  of  the  juice 
of  the  hearbe  tobaco  and  the  ashes  of  cockle-shells  wrought 
up  together,  and  drjed  in  the  shadow,  and  in  their  travaile 
they  place  one  of  the  balls  between  their  neather  lip  and 
their  teeth,  sucking  the  same  continually,  and  letting  down 
the  moysture,  and  it  keepeth  them  both  from  hunger  and 
thirst  for  the  space  of  three  or  four  days." 

Oviedo  says  of  the  implements  used  by  the  Indians  in 
smoking : — 

"  The  hollow  cane  used  by  them  is  called  tobaco  and  that 
that  name  is  not  given  to  the  plant  or  to  the  stupor  caused  by 
its  use." 

A  writer  alluding  to  the  same  subject  says : — 

"  The  name  tobacco  is  supposed  to  be  derived  from  the  In- 
dian tobaccos,  given  by  the  Caribs  to  the  pipe  in  which  they 
smoked  the  plant." 

Others  derive  it  from  Tabasco,  a  province  of  Mexico; 
others  from  the  island  of  Tobago  one  of  the  Caribbees ;  and 
others  from  Tobasco  in  the  gulf  of  Florida. 

Tomilson  says: — 

"  The  word  tobacco  appears  to  have  been  applied  by  the 
caribbees  to  the  pipe  in  which  they  smoked  the  herb  while 
the  Spaniards  distinguished  the  herb  itself  by  that  name. 
The  more  probable  derivation  of  the  word  is  from  a  place 
called  Tobaco  in  Yucatan  from  which  the  herb  was  first  sent 
to  the  New  World." 

Humboldt  says  concerning  the  name  : — 

"  The  word  Tobacco  like  maize,  savannah,  cacique,  maguey 
(agave)  and  manato,  belong  to  the  ancient  language  of  Hayti, 
or  St.  Domingo.  It  did  not  properly  denote  the  herb,  but 
the  tube  through  which  the  smoke  was  inhaled.  It  seems 
surprising  that  a  vegetable  production  so  universally  spread 
should  have  different  names  among  neighboring  people.  The 
pete-ma  of  the  Omaguas  is,  no  doubt,  the  pety  of  the  Gua- 
ranos ;  but  the  analogy  between  the  Cabre  and  Algonkin  (or 
Lenni-Lennope)  words  which  denote  tobacco  may  be  merely 
accidental.  The  following  are  the  synonymes  in  five  lan- 
guages :  Aztec  or  Mexican,  yetl;  Huron,  oyngona;  Peruvian, 
sayri;  Brazil,  piecelt;  Moxo,  sahare^ 

Roman  Pane  who  accompanied  Columbus  on  his  second 
voyage  alludes  to  another  method  of  using  the  herb.     They 


EAELY  SNUFF.TAKING.  85 

make  a  powder  of  the  leaves,  which  "  they  take  through  a 
cane  half  a  cubit  long;  one  end  of  this  they  place  in  the 
nose,  and  the  other  upon  the  powder,  and  so  draw  it  up, 
which  purges  them  very  much." 

This  is  doubtless  the  first  account  that  we  have  of  snuff- 
taking  ;  Fairholt  says  concerning  its  use : — 

"Its  effects  upon  the  Indians  in  both  instances  seem  to 
have  been  more  violent  and  peculiar  than  upon  Europeans 
since." 

This  may  be  accounted  for  from  the  fact  of  the  imperfect 
method  of  curing  tobacco  adopted  by  them  and  all  of  the 
natives  up  to  the  period  of  the  settlement  of  Virginia  by  the 
English.  As  nearly  all  of  the  early  voyagers  allude  to  the 
plant  and  especially  to  its  use  it  would  seem  probable  that  it 
had  been  cultivated  from  time  immemorial  by  all  the  native 
people  of  the  Orinoco  ;  and  at  the  period  of  the  conquest  the 
habit  of  smoking  was  found  to  be  alike  spread  over  both 
!North  and  South  America.  The  Tamanacs  and  the  May- 
pures  of  Guiana  wrap  maize  leaves  round  their  cigars  as  the 
Mexicans  did  at  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  Cortez.  The 
Spaniards  since  have  substituted  paper  for  the  leaves  of 
maize,  in  imitation  of  them. 

"  The  poor  Indians  of  the  forests  of  the  Orinoco  know  as 
well  as  did  the  great  nobles  at  ^ — > 

the  court  of  Montezuma,  that        ^"P^? — ^/--  - 
the  smoke  of  tobacco  is  an  ex-    r^-^^^^jy/  A 
cellent  narcotic ;  and  they  use  ^^^^^^j 
it   not   only   to   procure   their 
afternoon  nap,  but  also  to  put^ 
themselves  in  that  state  of  qui-  X 
escence  which  they  call  dream- 
ing with  the  eyes  open  or  day  i 
dreaming."  X" 

■  Tobacco  at  this  period  was 
also  rolled  up  in  the  leaves  of 
the  Palm  and  smoked.  Colum- 
bus found  the  natives  of  San  j^^^^g  smoking. 
Salvador  smoking  after  this 
manner,     Lobel  in  his  History  of  Plants*  gives  an  engraving 

•  flUtory  ot  Plants,  1576. 


36  TOBACCO  IN  MEXICO. 

of  a  native  smoking  one  of  these  rolls  or  primitive  cigars 
and  speaks  of  their  general  use  by  Captains  of  ships  trading 
to  the  West  Indies, 

But  not  only  was  snuff  taking  and  the  use  of  tobacco  rolls 
or  cigars  noted  by  European  voyagers,  but  the  use  of  the  pipe 
also  in  some  parts  of  America,  seemed  to  be  a  common  cus- 
tom especially  among  the  chiefs.  Be  Bry  in  his  History  of 
Brazil  (1590)  describes  its  use  and  also  some  interesting 
particulars  concerning  the  plant.  Their  method  of  curing 
the  leaves  was  to  air-diy  them  and  then  packing  them  until 
wanted  for  use.     In  smoking  he  says : — 

"  "When  the  leaves  are  well  dried  they  place  in  the  open 
part  of  a  pipe  of  which  on  burning,  the  smoke  is  inhaled 
into  the  mouth  by  the  more  narrow  part  of  the  pipe,  and  so 
strongly  that  it  flows  out  of  the  mouth  and  nostrils,  and  by 
that  means  effectually  drives  out  humours." 

Fairholt  in  alluding  to  the  various  uses  of  the  herb  among 
the  Indians  says : — 

"  We  can  thus  trace  to  South  America,  at  the  period  when 
the  New  World  was  first  discovered,  every  mode  of  using  the 
tobacco  plant  which  the  Old  World  has  indulged  in  ever 
Bince." 

This  statement  is  not  entirely  correct — the  mode  of  using 
tobacco  in  Norway  by  plugging  the  nostrils  with  small  pieces 
of  tobacco  seems  to  have  been  unknown  among  the  Indians 
of  America  as  it  is  now  with  all  other  nationalities,  excepting 
the  Norwegians. 

/'When  Cortez  made  conquest  of  Mexico  in  1519  smoking 
seemed  to  be  a  common  as  well  as  an  ancient  custom  among 
the  natives.  Benzoni  in  his  History  of  the  New  World  - 
describing  his  travels  in  America  gives  a  detailed  account  of 
the  plant  and  their  method  of  curing  and  using  it.  In  both 
North  and  South  America  the  use  of  tobacco  seemed  to  be 
universal  among  all  the  tribes  and  beyond  all  question  the 
custom  of  using  the  herb  had  its  origin  among  them.  The 
traditions  of  the  Indians  all  confirm  its  ancient  source  ;  they 
considered  the  plant  as  a  gift  from  the  Great  Spirit  for  their 

*  From  1541  to  1556. 


COMPARATIVE  QUALITIES  OP  TOBACCO.  37 

comfort  and  enjoyment  and  one  which  the  Great  Spirit  also 
indulged  in,  consequently  with  them  smoking  partook  of  the 
character  of  a  moral  if  not  a  religious  act.  The  use  of  tobacco 
in  sufficient  quantities  to  produce  intoxication  seemed  to  be  a 
favorite  remedy  for  most  diseases  among  them  and  was 
administered  by  their  doctors  or  medicine-men  in  large  quan- 
tities. Benzoni  gives  an  engraving  of  their  mode  of  inhaling 
the  smoke  and  says  of  its  use  : — 

"In  La  Espanola,  when  their  doctors  wanted  to  cure  a 
eick  man,  they  went  to  the  place  where  they  were  to  ad- 
minister the  smoke,  and  when  he  was  thoroughly  intoxicated 
by  it,  the  cure  was  mostly  effected.  On  returning  to  his 
eenses  he  told  a  thousand  stories  of  his  having  been  at  the 
council  of  the  gods,  and  other  high  visions." 

It  can  hardly  be  supposed  that  while  the  custom  of  using 
tobacco  among  the  Indians  in  both  North  and  South  America 
was  very  general  and  the  mode  of  use  the  same,  that  the 
plant  grown  was  of  the  same  quality  in  one  part  as  in  another. 
While  the  rude  culture  of  the  natives  would  hardly  tend  to 
an  improvement  in  quality  ;  the  climate  being  varied  would 
no  doubt  have  much  to  do  with  the  size  and  quality  of  the 
plant.  This  would  seem  the  more  probable  for  as  soon  as  its 
cultivation  began  in  Virginia  by  the  English  colonists  it  had 
Buccessful  rivals  in  the  tobacco  of  the  West  Indies  and  South 
America.     Robertson  says: — 

f  "  Virginia  tobacco  was  greatly  inferior  to  that  raised  by  the 
Spaniards  in  the  West  Indies  and  which  sold  for  six  times  as 
much  as  Virginia  tobacco."  * 

But  not  only  has  the  name  tobacco  and  the  implements 
employed  in  its  use  caused  much  discussion  but  also  the 
origin  of  the  plant. 

\    Some  writers  affirm  that  it  came  from  Asia  and  that  it  was 

first  grown  in  China  having  been  used  by  the  Cliinese  long 

/before  the  narcotic  properties  of  opium  were  known.  ,  Tatham 

j  in  his   work  on   Tobacco  says   of   its  origin  in   substantial 

\  agreement  with  La  Bott: — 

^   "It   is  generally  understood  that   the   tobacco   |!)lant   of 

•  West  India  tobacco  sold  for  IS  shillings  per  pound  and  Virginia  for  3  s. 


38  ORIGIN  OP  THE  PLANT. 

Virginia  is  a  native  production  of  the  country ;  but  whether 
it  was  found  in  a  state  of  natural  growth  there,  or  a  plant 
cultivated  by  the  Indian  natives,  is  a  point  of  which  we  are 
not  informed,  nor  which  ever  can  be  farther  elucidated  than 
by  the  corroboration  of  historical  facts  and  conjectures.  I 
have  been  thirty  years  ago,  and  the  greatest  part  of  my  time 
during  that  period,  intimately  acquainted  with  the  interior 
parts  of  America ;  and  have  been  much  in  the  unsettled  parts 
of  the  country,  among  those  kinds  of  soil  which  are  favora- 
ble to  the  cultivation  of  tobacco ;  but  I  do  not  recollect  one 
single  instance  where  I  have  met  with  tobacco  growing  wild 
in  the  woods,  although  I  have  often  found  a  few  spontaneous 
plants  about  the  arable  and  trodden  grounds  of  deserted 
habitations.  This  circumstance,  as  well  as  that  of  its  being 
now,  and  having  been,  cultivated  by  the  natives  at  the  period 
of  European  discoveries,  inclines  towards  a  supposition  that 
this  plant  is  not  a  native  of  North  America,  but  may  possibly 
have  found  its  way  thither  with  the  earliest  migrations  from 
some  distant  land.  This  might,  indeed,  have  easily  been  the 
case  from  South  America,  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama ; 
and  the  foundation  of  the  Choctaw  and  Chickasaw  nations 
(who  we  have  reasons  to  consider  as  descendants  from  the 
Tloseolians,  and  to  have  migrated  to  the  eastward  of  the 
river  Mississippi,  about  the  time  of  the  Spanish  conquest  of 
Mexico  by  Cortez),  seems  to  have  afforded  one  fair  oppor- 
tunity for  its  dissemination." 

/"^he  first  knowledge  which  the  English  discoverers  had  of 
'  the  plant  was  in  1565  when  they  foimd  it  growing  in  Florida, 
one  hundred  and  seventy-three  years  after  it  was  first  dis- 
covered by  Columbus  on  the  island  of  Cuba.  Sir  John 
Hawkins  says  of  its  use  in  Florida : — 

''  The  Floridians,  when  they  travel,  have  a  kind  of  herb 
dried,  which  with  a  cane  and  an  earthen  cup  in  the  end,  with 
fire  and  the  dried  herbs  put  together,  do  suke  through  the 
cane  the  smoke  thereof,  which  smoke  satisfieth  their  hunger, 
and  therewith  they  live  four  or  five  dayes  without  meat  or 
drinke,  and  this  all  the  Frenchmen  used  for  this  purpose :  yet 
do  they  holde  opinion  withall,  that  it  causeth  water  and 
steame  to  void  from  their  stomachs." 

This  preparation  might  not  have  been  tobacco  as  the 
Indians  smoke  a  kind  of  bark  which  they  scrape  from  the 
killiconick,  an  aromatic  shrub,  in  form  resembling  the  willow; 


EARLY  MAMMOTH  CIGARS.  39 

they  use  also  a  preparation  made  with  this  and  sumach  leaves, 
or  sometimes  with  the  latter  mixed  with  tobacco.  Lionel 
Wafer  in  his  travels  npon  the  Isthmus  of  Darien  in  1699 
saw  the  plant  growing  and  cultivated  by  the  natives.  He 
says : — 

"  These  Indians  have  tobacco  amongst  them.  It  grows  as 
the  tobacco  in  Virginia,  but  is  not  so  strong,  perhaps  for 
want  of  transplanting  and  manuring,  which  the  Indians  do 
not  well  understand,  for  they  only  raise  it  from  the  seed  in 
their  plantations.  AVhen  it  is  dried  and  cured  they  strip  it 
from  the  stalks,  and  laying  two  or  three  leaves  upon  one 
another,  they  roll  up  all  together  sideways  into  a  long  roll, 
yet  leaving  a  little  hollow.  Round  this  they  roll  other  leaves 
one  after  another,  in  the  same  manner,  but  close  and  hard, 
till  the  roll  be  as  big  as  one's  wrist,  and  two  or  three  feet  in 
length.  Their  way  of  smoking  when  they  are  in  company 
is  thus:  a  boy  lights  one  end  of  a  roll  and  burns  it  to  a  coal, 
wetting  the  part  next  it  to  keep  it  from  wasting  too  fast. 
The  end  so  lighted  he  puts  into  his  mouth,  and  blows  the 
smoke  through  the  whole  length  of  the  roll  into  the  face  of 
every  one  of  the  company  or  council,  though  there  be  two  or 
three  hundred  of  them.  Then  they,  sitting  in  their  usual 
posture  upon  forms,  make  with  their  hands  held  together  a 
kind  of  funnel  round  their  mouths  and  noses.  Into  this  they 
receive  the  smoke  as  it  is  blown  upon  them,  snuifing  it  up 
greedily  and  strongly  as  long  as  ever  they  are  able  to  hold 
their  breath,  and  seeming  to  bless  themselves,  as  it  were,  Mitli 
the  refreshment  it  gives  them." 

In  the  year  1534  James  Cartier  a  Frenchman  was  com- 
missioned to  explore  the  coast  of  I^orth  America,  with  a  view 

/   to  find  a  place  for  a  colony.     He  observed  that  the  natives 
of  Canada  used  the  leaves  of  an  herb  which  they  preserved 

\    in  pouches  made  of  skins  and  smoked  in  stone  pipes.     It 
being  offensive  to  the  French,  they  took  none  of  it  with 
them  on  their  return.     But  writing  more  particularly  con- 
\  cerning  the  plant  he  says : — 

f  "In  Hochelaga,  up  the  river  in  Canada  there  groweth  a 
certain  kind  of  herb  whereof  in  Summer  they  make  a  great 
provision  for  all  the  3'ear,  making  great  account  of  it,  and 
only  men  use  of  it,  and  first  they  cause  it  to  be  dried  in  the 
Sune,  then  wear  it  about  their  necks  wrapped  in  a  little 
beast's  skine  made  like  a  bagge,  with  a  hollow  piece  of  stone 


h 

I     T 


40 


SACREDNESS  OF  THE  PIPE. 


s-V? 


OLD   ENGRAVING. 


or  wood  like  a  pipe,  then  when  they  please  they  make 
powder  of  it,  and  then  put  it  in  one  of  the  ends  of  the  said 
Cornet  or  pipe,  and  laying  a  cole  of  lire  upon  it,  at  the  other 
end  and  suck  so  long,  that  they  fill  their  bodides  full  of 
smoke,  till  that  it  commeth  out  of  their  mouth  and  nostrils, 
even  as  out  of  the  Tonnel  of  a  chimney.  They  say  that  this 
doth  keepe  them  warme  and  in  health,  they  never  goe  with- 
out some  of  this  about  them." 

Be  Bry  in  his  History  of  Brazil  1590  gives  an  engraving 
of  a  native  smoking  a  pipe  and  a 
female  offering  him  a  handful  of 
tobacco  leaves.  The  pipe  has  a 
modern  look  and  is  altogether  un- 
like those  found  by  the  English  in 
use  among  the  Indians  in  Yirginia. 
An  English  writer  says  of  the 
Tobacco  using  races : — 

"  From  the  evidence  collected  by 
travellers  and  archaeologists,  as  to 
the  native  arts  and  relics  connected  with  the  use  of  Tobacco 
by  the  Red  Indians,  it  would  appear  that  not  one  tribe  has 
been  found  which  was  unacquainted  with  the  custom,*  its 
use  being  as  well  known  to  the  tribes  of  the  North-west  and 
the  denizens  of  the  snowy  wilds  of  Canada,  as  to  the  races 
inhabiting  Central  America  and  the  "West  India  Islands." 

Eather  Erancisco  Creuxio  states  that  the  Jesuit  mission- 
aries found  the  weed  extensively  used  by  the  Indians  of  the 
Seventeenth  Century.  In  1629  he  found  the  Hurons  smoking 
the  dried  leaves  and  stalks  of  the  Tobacco  plg-nt  or  petune. 
Many  tribes  of  Indians  consider  that  Tobacco  is  a  gift 
bestowed  by  the  Great  Spirit  as  a  means  of  enjoyment.  In 
consequence  of  this  belief  the  pipe  became  sacred,  and 
smoking  became  a  moral  if  not  a  religious  act,  amongst  the 
North  American  Indians.  The  Iroquois  are  of  opinion  that 
by  burning  Tobacco  they  could  send  up  their  prayers  to  the 
Great  Spirit  with  the  ascending  incense,  thus  maintaining 


•Arnold  In  his  History  of  Rhode  Island  refers  to  the  plantlnp:  of  tohacco  by  the  Indiana 
when  the  State  was  Hrst  settled.  Elliot  also  says  iu  his  History  of  the  same  State :— "  Tohacco 
was  universal,  every  man  carrying  his  pipe  and  bag;  and  in  its  ctiltivation  only,  did  the 
men  condescend  to  labor;  but  occasionally  all  would  join,  the  whole  neighborhood,  men, 
women,  and  children,  whea  some  one's  field  was  to  be  broken  up,  and  they  made  a  loving, 
sociable,  speedy  time  of  it." 


EARLY  CULTIVATION.  41 

communication  with  the  spirit  world;  and  Dr.  Daniel  Wilson 
suggests  that  "  the  practice  of  smoking  originated  in  the  use 
of  the  intoxicating  fumes  for  purposes  of  divination,  and 
other  superstitious  rites." 

When  an  Indian  goes  on  an  expedition,  whether  of  peace 
or  war,  his  pipe  is  his  constant  companion ;  it  is  to  him  what 
salt  is  among  Arabs :  the  pledge  of  fidelity  and  the  seal  of 
treaties.     In  the  words  of  a  Heview  : 

"  Tobacco  supplies  one  of  the  few  comforts  by  which  men 
who  live  by  their  hands,  solace  themselves  under  incessant 
hardship." 

While  the  presence,  and  use  of  tobacco  by  the  natives  of 
America  are  among  the  most  interesting  features  connected 
with  its  history,  it  can  hardly  be  more  so  than  is  its  early 
cultivation  by  the  Spaniards,  English  and  Dutch,  and  after- 
ward by  the  French.  The  cultivation  of  the  plant  began  in 
the  West  India  Islands  and  South  America  early  in  the  Six- 
teenth Century.  In  Cuba  its  c;ulture  commenced  in  1580,  and 
from  this  and  the  other  islands  large  quantities  were  shipped 
to  Europe.  It  was  also  cultivated  near  Yarina  in  Columbia, 
while  Amazonian  tobacco  had  acquired  an  enviable  reputation 
as  well  as  Yarinian,  long  before  its  cultivation  began  in  Yir- 
ginia  by  the  English.  At  this  period  of  its  culture  in 
America  the  entire  product  was  sent  to  Sj)ain  and  Portugal, 
and  from  thence  to  France  and  Great  Britain  and  other 
countries  of  Europe.  The  plant  and  its  use  attracted  at 
once  the  attention  as  well  as  aroused  the  cupidity  of  the 
Spaniards,  who  prized  it  as  one  of  their  greatest  discoveries. 

As  soon  as  Tobacco  was  introduced  into  Europe  by  the 
Spaniards,  and  its  use  became  a  general  custom,  its  sale 
increased  as  extensively  as  its  cultivation.  At  this  period  it 
brought  enormous  prices,  the  finest  selling  at  from  fifteen  to 
eighteen  shillings  per  pound.  Its  cultivation  by  the 
Spaniards  in  various  portions  of  the  New  World  proved  to 
them  not  only  its  real  value  as  an  article  of  commerce,  but 
also  that  several  varieties  of  the  plant  existed ;  as  on 
removal  from  one  island  or  province  to  another  it  changed  in 
size  and  quality  of  leaf.     Yarinas  tobacco  at  this  time  was 


42       PROPORTIONS  OF  THE  TOBACCO  TRADE. 

one  of  the  finest  tobaccos  known,*  and  large  quantities 
were  shipped  to  Spain  and  Portugal.  The  early  voyagers 
little  dreamed,  however,  of  the  vast  proportions  to  be 
assumed  by  the  trade  in  the  plant  which  they  had  dis- 
covered, and  which  in  time  proved  a  source  of  the  greatest 
profit  not  only  to  the  European  colonies,  but  to  the  dealers  in 
the  Old  World. 

Helps,  treating  on  this  same  subject,  says : 

"  It  is  interesting  to  observe  the  way  in  which  a  new  pro- 
duct is  introduced  to  the  notice  of  the  Old  World — a 
product  that  was  hereafter  to  become,  not  only  an  unfailing 
source  of  pleasure  to  a  large  section  of  the  whole  part  of 
mankind,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest,  but  was  also 
to  distinguish  itself  as  one  of  those  commodities  for  revenue, 
which  are  the  delight  of  statesmen,  the  great  financial 
resource  of  modern  nations,  and  which  afford  a  means 
of  indirect  taxation  that  has  perhaps  nourished  many  a  war, 
and  prevented  many  a  revolution.  The  importance,  financi- 
ally and  commercially  speaking,  of  this  discovery  of 
tobacco — a  discovery  which  in  the  end  proved  more  produc- 
tive to  the  Spanish  crown  than  that  of  the  gold  mines  of  the 
Indies." 

/Spain  and  Portugal  in  all  their  colonies  fostered  and 
encouraged  its  cultivation  and  then  at  once  ranked  as 
the  best  producers  and  dealers  in  tobacco.  The  varieties 
/  grown  by  them  in  the  West  Indies  and  South  America  were 
highly  esteemed  and  commanded  much  higher  prices  than 
that  grown  by  the  English  and  Dutch  colonies.  In  1620, 
however,  the  Dutch  merchants  were  the  largest  wholesale 
tobacconists  in  Europe,  and  the  people  of  Holland,  generally, 
the  greatest  consumers  of  the  weed. 

The  expedition  of  1584,  under  the  auspices  of  Sir  Walter 
lialeigh,  which  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  Virginia,  also 
introduced  the  tobacco  plant,  among  other  novelties,  to  the 
attention  of  the  English.  Hariot,t  who  sailed  with  this 
expedition,  says  of  the  plant : 

"  There  is  an  herb  which  is  sowed  apart  by  itselfe,  and  is 

•Trinidad  tobacco  was  then  considered  the  finest. 

tA  brief  and  true  Report  of  the  New  Found  Land  of  Virginia  (London,  1588>. 


QUAINT  DESCRIPTION.  43 

called  by  the  inhabitants  uppowoc.  In  the  West  Indies  it 
hath  divers  names,  according-  to  the  severall  places  and  coun- 
tries where  it  groweth  and  is  used ;  the  Spaniards  generally 
call  it  Tobacco.  The  leaves  thereof  being  dried  and  brought 
into  powder,  they  use  to  take  the  fume  or  smoke  thereof  by 
sucking  it  through  pipes  made  of  clay  into  their  stomacke 
and  heade,  from  whence  it  purgeth  superfluous  fleame  and 
other  grosse  humors ;  openeth  all  the  pores  and  passages  of 
the  body ;  by  which  means  the  use  thereof  not  only  preserv- 
eth  the  body  from  obstructions,  but  also  if  any  be  so  that 
they  have  not  beene  of  too  long  continuance,  in  short  time 
breaketh  them ;  whereby  their  bodies  are  notably  preserved 
in  health,  and  know  not  many  grievous  diseases  wherewithall 
we  in  England  are  oftentimes  affected.  This  uppowoc  is  of 
so  precious  estimation  amongest  them  that  they  thinke  their 
gods  are  marvellously  delighted  therewith ;  whereupon  some- 
time they  make  halowed  fires,  and  cast  some  of  the  powder 
therein  for  a  sacrifise.  Being  in  a  storme  uppon  the  waters, 
to  pacifie  their  gods,  they  cast  some  up  into  the  aire  and  into 
the  water :  so  a  weave  for  fish  being  newly  set  up,  they  cast 
some  therein  and  into  the  aire ;  also  after  an  escape  of  danger 
they  cast  some  into  the  aire  likewise ;  but  all  done  with 
strange  gestures,  stamping,  sometimes  dancing,  clapping  of 
hands,  holding  up  of  hands,  and  staring  up  into  the  heavens, 
uttering  there  withal  and  chattering  strange  wordes,  and 
noises. 

"We  ourselves  during  the  time  we  were  there  used  to  suck 
it  after  their  manner,  as  also  since  our  returne,  and  have 
found  many  rare  and  wonderful  experiments  of  the  virtues 
thereof;  of  which  the  relation  would  require  a  volume  of 
itselfe :  the  use  of  it  by  so  manie  of  late,  men  and  women, 
of  great  calling  as  else,  and  some  learned  phisitions  also  is 
Buflicient  witnes." 

The  natives  also  when  Drake*  landed  in  Virginia, 
"brought  a  little  basket  made  of  rushes,  and  filled  with  an 
berbe  which  they  called  Tobah ;"  they  "  came  also  the 
second  time  to  us  bringing  with  therrt  as  before  had  been 
done,  feathers  and  bags  of  Tobah  for  presents,  or  rather 
indeed  for  sacrifices,  upon  this  persuasion  that  we  were 
gods." 

William  Stracheyf  says  of  tobacco  and  its  cultivation  by 
the  Indians: 


•The  World  Encompassed.    London,  1623. 

t"  The  nistoiie  of  Travaile  into  Virginia  Britannica.' 


44 


VARIETY  OF  KINDS. 


""Here  is  great  store  of  tobacco,  which  the  salvages  call 
apooke  :  howbeit  it  is  not  of  the  best  kyud,  it  is  but  poor  and 
weake,  and  of  a  byting  taste ;  it  grows  not  fully  a  yard 
above  ground,  bearing  a  little  yellow  flower  like  to  henbane ; 
the  leaves  are  short  and  thick,  somewhat  round  at  the  upper 
end  ;  whereas  the  best  tobacco  of  Trynidado  and  the  Oro- 
noque,  is  large,  sharpe,  and  growing  two  or  three  yardes 
from  the  ground,  bearing  a  flower  of  the  breadth  of  our  bell- 
flower,  in  England  ;  the  salvages  here  dry  the  leaves  of  this 
apooke  over  the  fier,  and  sometymes  in  the  sun,  and  crumble 
yt  into  poudre,  stalk,  leaves,  and  all,  taking  the  same  in 
pipes  of  earth,  which  very  ingeniously  they  can  make." 

It  would  seem  then,  if  the 
account  given  by  Strachey 
be  correct,  that  the  tobacco 
cultivated  by  the  Indians 
of  North  America  was  of 
inferior  growth  and  quality 
to  that  grown  in  many  por- 
tions of  South  America,  and 
more  particularly  in  the 
West  India  islands.  As 
there  are  still  many  varie- 
^  ties  of  the  plant  grown  in 
America,  so  there  doubtless 
was  when  cultivated  by  the  Indians.  While  most  probably 
the  quality  of  leaf  remained  the  same  from  generation  to 
generation,  still  in  some  portions  of  America,  owing  more  to 
the  soil  and  climate  than  the  mode  of  cultivating  by  them, 
they  cured  very  good  tobacco.  We  can  readily  see  how  this 
might  have  been,  from  numerous  experiments  made  with 
both  American  and  European  varieties.  Kearly  all  of  the 
early  Spanish,  French  and  English  voyagers  who  landed  in 
America  were  attracted  by  the  beauty  of  the  country.  Ponce 
De  Leon,  who  sailed  from  Spain  to  the  Floridas,  was  charmed 
by  the  plants  and  flowers,  and  doubtless  the  first  sight  of 
them  strengthened  his  belief  in  the  existence  somewhere  in 
this  tropical  region  of  the  fountain  of  youth. 

The  discovery  of  tobacco  proved  of  the  greatest  advantage 


s>-=-^^ 


THE   CONTRAST. 


TOBACCO  AND  COMMERCE.  45 

to  the  nations  who  fostered  its  growth,  —  and  increased 
the  commerce  of  both  England  and  Spain,  doing  much  to 
make  the  latter  what  it  once  was,  one  of  the  most  powerful 
nations  of  Europe  and  possessor  of  the  largest  and  richest 
colonies,  while  it  greatly  helped  the  former,  already  unsur- 
passed in  intelligence  and  civilization,  to  reach  its  present 
position  at  the  commercial  head  of  the  nations  of  the  world. 

As  Spain,  however,  has  fallen  from  the  high  place  she  once 
held,  her  colonial  system  has  also  gone  down.  And  while 
England,  thanks  to  her  more  liberal  policy,  still  retains  a 
large  share  of  the  territory  which  she  possessed  at  first, 
Spain,  which  once  held  sway  over  a  vast  portion  of  America, 
has  been  deprived  of  nearly  all  of  her  colonies,  and  ere  long 
may  lose  control  of  the  island  on  which  the  discoverer  of 
America  first  saw  the  plant.* 

It  is  an  historical  fact  that  wherever  in  the  English  and 
Spanish  colonies  civilization  has  taken  the  deepest  root,  so 
has  also  the  plant  which  has  become  as  famous  as  any  of  the 
great  tropical  products  of  the  earth.  The  relation  existing 
between  the  balmy  plant  and  the  commerce  of  the  world  i» 
of  the  strongest  kind.  Fairholt  has  well  said,  that  "the 
revenue  brought  to  our  present  Sovereign  Lady  from  this 
source  alone  is  greater  than  that  Queen  Elizabeth  received 
from  the  entire  customs  of  the  country." 

The  narrow  view  of  commercial  policy  held  by  her 
successors,  the  Stuarts,  induced  them  to  hamper  the  colonists 
of  America  with  restrictions;  because  they  were  alarmed 
lest  the  ground  should  be  entirely  devoted  to  tobacco.  Had 
not  this  Indian  plant  been  discovered,  the  whole  history 
of  some  portions  of  America  would  have  been  far  difierent. 
In  the  "West  Indies  three  great  products — Coffee,  Sugar- 
Can  e,  and  Tobacco, — have  proved  sources  of  the  greatest 
wealth — and  wherever  introduced,  have  developed  to  a  great 
extent  the  resources  of  the  islands.  Thus  it  may  be  seen 
that  while  the  Spaniards  by  the  discovery  and  colonization 

•"Spain  has  donlitless  conqnered  more  of  tho  Earth's  surface  than  any  other  modern 
nation;  and  her  pecnliar  national  character  has  also  caused  her  to  make  tiie  worst  use  of 
them.  It  was  alwaj-s  easier  for  the  Moor  to  conquer  than  to  make  a  good  use  of  his  con- 
qaesta ;  and  so  It  has  always  been  with  Spain." 


46  ORIGINAL  CULTURE. 

of  large  portions  of  America  strengthened  the  currency  of 
the  world,  the  English  alike,  by  the  cultivation  of  the  plant, 
gave  an  impetus  to  commerce  still  felt  and  continued 
throughout  all  parts  of  the  globe. 

An  English  writer  has  truthfully  observed  that  "  Tobacco 
is  like  Elias'  cloud,  which  was  no  bigger  than  a  man's  hand, 
that  hath  suddenly  covered  the  face  of  the  earth ;  the  low 
countries,  Germany,  Poland,  Arabia,  Persia,  Turkey,  almost 
all  countries,  drive  a  trade  of  it ;  and  there  is  no  commodity 
that  hath  advanced  so  many  from  small  fortunes  to  gain  great 
estates  in  the  world.  Sailors  will  be  supplied  with  it  for 
their  long  voyages.  Soldiers  cannot  (but)  want  it  when 
they  keep  guard  all  night,  or  upon  other  hard  duties  in  cold 
and  tempestuous  weather.  Farmers,  ploughmen,  and 
almost  all  labouring  men,  plead  for  it.  If  we  reflect  upon 
our  forefathers,  and  that  within  the  time  of  less  than  one 
hundred  years,  before  the  use  of  tobacco  came  to  be  known 
amongst  us,  we  cannot  but  wonder  how  they  did  to  subsist 
without  it ;  for  were  the  planting  or  traffick  of  tobacco  now 
hindered,  millions  of  this  nation  in  all  probability  must 
perish  for  the  want  of  food,  their  whole  livelihood  almost 
depending  upon  it." 

When  first  discovered  in  America,  and  particularly  by 
the  English  in  Virginia,  the  plant  was  cultivated  only 
by  the  females  of  the  tribes,  the  chiefs  and  warriors 
engaging  only  in  the  chase  or  following  the  war- 
path. They  cultivated  a  few  plants  around  their  wig- 
wams, and  cured  a  few  pounds  for  their  own  use.  The 
smoke,  as  it  ascended  from  their  pipes  and  circled  around 
their  rude  huts  and  out  into  the  air,  seemed  typical  of  the 
race — the  original  cultivators  and  smokers  of  the  plant. 
But,  unlike  the  great  herb  which  they  cherished  and  gave  to 
civilization,  they  have  gradually  grown  weak  in  numbers  and 
faded  away,  while  the  great  plant  has  gone  on  its  way,  ever 
assuming  more  and  more  sway  over  the  commercial  and 
social  world,  until  it  now  takes  high  rank  among  the  leading 
elements  of  mercantile  and  agricultural  greatness. 


CHAPTER  III. 


TOBACCO    IN   AMEKICA. 


-E  do  not  find  in  any  accounts  of  the  English 
voyagers  made  previous  to  1584,  any  mention  of  the 
discovery  of  tobacco,  or  its  use  among  the  Indians. 
This  may  appear  a  little  strange,  as  Captains  Amidas 
and  Barlow,  who  sailed  from  England  under  the  auspices  of 
Sir  Walter  Raleigh  in  1584,  on  returning  from  Virginia,  had 
brought  home  with  them  pearls  and  tobacco  among  other 
curiosities.  But  while  we  have  no  account  of  those  who 
returned  from  the  voyage  made  in  1602  taking  any  tobacco 
with  them,  it  is  altogether  probable  that  those  who  remained 
took  a  lively  interest  in  the  plant  and  the  Indian  mode  of 
use;  for  we  find  that  in  nine  years  aftt;r  thev  landed  at 
Jamestown  tobacco  had  become  quite  an  article  of  culture 
and  commercp. 

Huniu  iu  alluding  to  the  early  cultivation  of  tobacco  by 
the  colony,  says,  that  John  Rolfe  was  the  pioneer  tobacco 
planter.     In  his  words: 

"  I  may  not  forget  the  gentleman  worthie  of  much  com- 
mendations, which  first  took  the  pains  to  make  triall  thereof, 
his  name  Mr.  John  Rolfe,  Anno  Domini  1612,  partly  for  the 
love  he  hath  a  long  time  borne  unto  it,  and  partly  to  raise 
commodities  to  the  adventurers,  in  whose  behalfe  I  intercede 
and  vouchsafe  to  hold  my  testimony  in  beleefe  that  during 
the  tirne  of  his  aboade  there,  which  draweth  neere  sixe  years 


48 


FIRST  GENERAL  PLANTING. 


no  man  hath  labonred  to  his  power  there,  and  worthy  inconr- 
agement  unto  England,  by  his  letters  than  he  hath  done, 


JOHN    ROLPE. 


witness  his  marriage  with  Powhatan's  daughter  one  of  rude 
education,  manners  barbarous,  and  cursed  generation  merely 
for  the  good  and  honor  of  the  plantation."     ' 

The  first  general  planting  of  tobacco  by  the  colony  began 
according  to  this  writer — ^"at  West  and  Sherley  Hundred 
(seated  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  lower  than  the  Ber- 
mudas three  or  four  myles)  where  are  twenty -five  commanded 
by  capten  Maddeson — who  are  imployed  onely  in  planting 
and  curing  tobacco." 

This  was  in  1616,  when  the  colony  numbered  only  three 
hundred  and  fifty-one  persons.  Rolfe,  in  his  relation  of  the 
state  of  Yirginia,  written  and  addressed  to  the  King,  gives 
the  following  description  of  the  condition  of  the  colony  in 
1616: 


STATE  OF  THE  COLONY.  49 

"  Now  that  your  highness  may  with  the  more  ease  Tinder- 
stnnd  in  what  condition  the  colony  standeth,  I  have  briefly 
6ctt  downe  the  manner  of  all  men's  several  imployments,  the 
number  of  them,  and  the  several  places  of  their  aboad,  which 
places  or  seates  are  all  our  owne  ground,  not  so  much  by 


places  which  are  now  possessed 
Henrico  and  the  lymitts,  Bermuda  Nether  hundred,  West 
and  Sherley  hundred,  James  Towne,  Kequoughtan,  and 
Dales-Gift.  The  generall  mayne  body  of  the  planters  are 
divided  into  Officers,  Laborers,  Farmors. 

"  The  officers  have  the  charge  and  care  as  well  over  the 
farmors  as  laborers  generallie — that  they  watch  and  ward  for 
their  preservacions ;  and  that  both  the  one  and  the  other's 
busines  may  be  daily  followed  to  the  performance  of  those 
imployments,  which  from  the  one  are  required,  and  the  other 
by  covenant  are  bound  unto.  These  officers  are  bound  to 
maintayne  themselves  and  families  with  food  and  rayment 
by  their  owne  and  their  servant's  Industrie.  The  laborers 
are  of  two  sorts.  Some  employed  onely  in  the  generall 
works,  who  are  fedd  and  clothed  out  of  the  store — others, 
specially  artificers  as  smiths,  carpenters,  shoemakers,  taylors, 
tanners,  &c.,  doe  worke  in  their  professions  for  the  colony, 
and  maintayne  themselves  with  food  ann  apparrell,  having 
time  lymitted  them  to  till  and  manure  their  ground. 

"  The  farmors  live  at  most  ease — yet  by  their  good  endeav- 
ors bring  yearlie  much  plentie  to  the  plantation.  They  are 
bound  by  covenant,  both  for  themselves  and  servants,  to 
maintaine  your  Ma'ties  right  and  title  in  that  kingdom, 
against  all  foreigne  and  domestique  enemies.  To  watch  and 
ward  in  the  townes  where  they  are  resident.  To  do  thirty- 
one  dayes  service  for  the  colony,  when  they  shalbe  called 
thereunto — yet  not  at  all  tymes,  but  when  their  owne  busines 
can  best  spare  them.  To  maintayne  themselves  and  families 
with  food  and  rayment — and  every  farmer  to  pay  yearlie 
into  the  magazine  for  himself  and  every  man  servant,  two 
barrells  and  a  halfe  of  English  measure. 

"  Thus  briefly  have  I  sett  downe  every  man's  particular 
imployment  and  manner  of  living ;  albeit,  lest  the  people — 
who  generallie  are  bent  to  covett  after  gaine,  especially  hav- 
ing tasted  of  the  sveete  of  their  labors — should  spend  too 
much  of  their  t\  ■  .  j  .  nd  labor  in  planting  tobacco,  known  to 
them  to  be  ver>e  ve  idible  in  England,  and  so  neglect  their 
tillage  of  com*',  a"i  fall  into  want  thereof,  it  is  provided  for 
4 


50  CONDITIONS  OF  RAISING  TOBACCO. 

— by  the  providence  and  care  of  Sir  Thomas  Dale — that  no 
farraor  or  other,  who  must  maintayne  themselves — shall  plant 
any  tobacco,  unless  he  shall  yearely  manure,  set  and  main- 
tayne for  himself  and  every  man  servant  two  acres  of  ground 
■with  corne,  which  doing  they  may  plant  as  much  tobacco  as 
they  will,  els  all  their  tobacco  shalbe  forfeite  to  the  colony — 
by  which  meanes  the  magazine  shall  yearely  be  sure  to 
receave  their  rent  of  corne ;  to  maintayne  those  who  are  fedd 
thereout,  being  but  a  few,  and  manie  others,  if  need  be ;  they 
themselves  will  be  well  stored  to  keepe  their  families  with 
overplus,  and  reape  tobacco  enough  to  buy  clothes  and  such 
other  necessaries  as  are  needful  for  themselves  and  household. 
For  an  easie  laborer  will  keepe  and  tend  two  acres  of  corne, 
and  cure  a  good  store  of  tobacco — being  yet  the  principall 
commoditie  the  colony  for  the  present  yieldeth. 

"For  which  as  for  other  commodities,  the  councell  and 
company  for  Virginia  have  already  sent  a  ship  thither^  fur- 
nished with  all  manner  of  clothing,  household  stuff  and  such 
necessaries,  to  establish  a  magazine  there,  which  the  people 
shall  buy  at  easie  rates  for  their  commodities — they  selling 
them  at  such  prices  that  the  adventurers  may  be  no  loosers. 
This  magazine  shalbe  yearelie  supplied  to  furnish  them,  if 
they  will  endeavor,  by  their  labor,  to  maintayne  it — which 
wilbe  much  beneficiall  to  the  planters  and  adventurers,  by 
interchanging  their  commodities,  and  will  add  much  encour- 
agement to  them  and  others  to  preserve  and  follow  the  action 
with  a  constant  resolution  to  uphold  the  same." 

The  colony  at  this  time  was  engaged  in  planting  corn  and 
tobacco,  "making  pitch  and  tarr,  potashes,  charcole,  salt," 
and  in  fishing.     Of  Jamestown  he  says : 

"  At  James  Tonne  (seated  on  the  north  side  of  the  river, 
from  West  and  Sherley  Hundred  lower  down  about  thirty- 
seven  miles)  are  fifty,  under  the  command  of  lieutenant 
Sharpe,  in  the  absence  of  capten  Francis  West,  Esq.,  brother 
to  the  right  ho'ble  the  L.  Lawarre, — whereof  thirty -one  are 
farmers;  all  theis  maintayne  themselves  with  food  and  ray- 
meut.  Mr.  Eichard  Buck  minister  there — a  verie  good 
preacher." 

Rev.  Hugh  Jones  "  Chaplain  to  the  Honourable  Assembly, 
and  lately  Minister  of  James-Towne  and  in  Yirginia,"  in  a 
work  entitled — "  The  Present  State  of  Virginia,"  gives  the 
following  account  of  the  cultivation  of  tobacco : 

"  When  a  tract  of  land  is  seated,  they  clear  it  by  felling 


TOBACCO  FIELDS,  1620. 


51 


the  trees  about  a  yard  from  tlie^ ground,  lest  they  should 
*"Lv>^^  •ii^aiji.  What  wood  they  have  occasion  for  they  carry 
off,  and  burn  the  rest,  or  let  it  lie  and  rot  upon  the  ground. 
The  land  between  the  logs  and  stumps  they  hoe  np,  planting 


VIRGINIA  TOBACCO   FIELD,  1620. 

tobacco  there  in  the  spring,  inclosing  it  with  a  slight  fence  of 
cleft  rails.  This  will  last  for  tobacco  some  years,  if  the  land 
be  good ;  as  it  is  where  fine  timber,  or  grape  vines  grow. 
Land  when  hired  is  forced  to  bear  tobacco  by  penning  their 
cattle  upon  it ;  but  cowpen  tobacco  tastes,  strong,  and  that 
planted  in  wet  marshy  land  is  called  nonburning  tobacco, 
which  smoahs  in  the  pipe  like  leather,  unless  it  be  of  a  good 
age.  When  land  is  tired  of  tobacco,  it  Will  bear  Indian  Corn 
or  English  Wheat,  or  any  other  European  grain  or  seed  with 
wonderful  increase. 

"  Tobacco  and  Indian  Corne  are  planted  in  hills  as  hops, 
and  secured  by  worm  fences,  which  ,are  made  of  rails  sup- 
porting one  another  very  firmly  in  a  particular  manner. 
Tobacco  requires  a  great  deal  of  skill  and  trouble  in  the  right 
management  of  it.  They  raise  the  plants  in  beds,  as  we  do 
Cabbage  plants;  M'hicli  they  transplant  and  replant  upon 
occasion  after  a  shower  of  rain,  which  they  call  a  season. 
When  it  is  grown  up  they  top  it,  or  nip  off"  the  head,  succour 


52  INCREASE  OP  TOBACCO  GROWma. 

it,  or  cut  off  the  ground  leaves,  weed  it,  hill  it ;  and  when 
ripe,  tliey  cut  it  down  about  six  or  eight  leaves  on  a  stalk, 
which  they  carry  into  airy  tobacco  houses,  after  it  is  withered 
a  little  in  the  sun,  there  it  is  hung  to  dry  on  sticks,  as  paper 
at  the  paper-mills ;  when  it  is  in  proper  case,  (as  they  call  it) 
and  the  air  neither  too  moist,  nor  too  dry,  they  strike  it,  or 
take  it  down,  then  cover  it  up  in  bulk,  or  a  great  heap,  where 
it  lies  till  they  have  leisure  or  occasion  to  strip  it  (that  is  pull 
the  leaves  from  the  stalk)  or  stem  it  (that  is  to  take  out  the 
great  fibres)  and  tie  it  up  in  hands,  or  streight  lay  it ;  and  so 
by  degrees  prize  or  press  it  with  proper  engines  into  great 
Hogsheads,  containing  from  about  six  to  eleven  hundred 
pounds;  four  of  which  Hogsheads  make  a  tun  by  dimention, 
not  by  weight ;  then  it  is  ready  for  sale  or  shipping. 

There  are  two  sorts  of  tobacco,  viz.,  Oroonoko  the  stronger, 
and  sweet-scented  the  milder;  the  first  with  a  sharper  leaf 
like  a  Fox's  ear,  and  the  other  rounder  and  with  finer  fibres : 
But  each  of  these  are  varied  into  several  sorts,  much  as 
Apples  and  Pears  are;  and  I  have  been  informed  by  the 
Indian  traders,  that  the  Inland  Indians  have  sorts  of  tobacco 
much  differing  from  any  plaiited  or  used  by  the  Europeans. 
The  Indian  Corn  is  planted  in  hills  and  weeded  much  as 
tobacco.  This  grain  is  of  great  increase  and  most  general 
use ;  for  with  this  is  made  good  bread,  cakes,  mush,  and 
hommony  for  the  negroes,  which  with  good  pork  and  potatoes 
(red  and  white,  very  nice  and  different  from  ours)  with  other 
roots  and  pulse,  are  their  general  food." 

The  cultivation  of  tobacco  increased  with  the  growth  of 
the  colony  and  the  increase  of  price  which  at  this  time  was 
sufficient  to  induce  most  of  the  planters  to  neglect  the  cul- 
ture of  Corn  and  Wheat,  devoting  their  time  to  growing 
their  "darling  tobacco."  The  first  thirty  years  after  the 
colonization  of  Yirginia  by  the  English,  the  colony  made  but 
little  progress  owing  in  part  to  private  factions  and  Indian 
wars.  The  horrid  massacres  by  the  Indians  threatened  the 
extermination  of  the  colony,  and  for  a  time  the  plantations 
were  neglected  and  even  tobacco  became  more  of  an  article 
of  import  than  of  export,  which  is  substantiated  by  an  early 
writer  of  the  colony  who  says: — "A  vast  quantity  of 
tobacco  is  consumed  in  the  country  in  smoking,  chewing,  and 
snuff"."  Frequent  complaints  were  made  by  the  colony  of 
want  of  strength  and  danger  of  imminent  famine,  owing  vi 


RESTRICTIONS  ON  TOBACCO-RAISING.  /^3^ 

part  to  the  presence  of  a  greater  number  of  adventurers  than 

of  actual  settlers, — such  being  the  case  the  resources  of  the 

country  were  in  a  measure  limited. 

.  ^m.  The  demand  for  tobacco  in  England  increasing  each  year, 

/together  with  the  high  price  paid  for  that  from  Virginia  (3 

j  s.  per  lb.),  stimulated  the  planters  to  hazard  all  their  time 

/    and  labor  upon  one  crop,  neglecting  the  cultivation  of  the 

/     smaller  grains,  intent  only  upon  ciiring  "  a  good   store   of 

tobacco."     The  company  of  adventurers  at  length  found  it 

necessary  to  check  the  excessive  planting  of  the  weed,  and 

by  the  consent  of  the  "  Generall  Assemblie  "  restraining  the 

plantations  to  "  one  hundred  plants*  ye  headd,  uppon  each 

of  wich  plantes  there  are  to  bee  left  butt  onely  nyne  leaves 

,      wch  portions  as  neare  as  could  be  guessed,  was  generally 

conceaved  would  be  agreable  with  the  hundred  waight  you 

have  allowed." 

Xln  1639  the  "  Grand  Assembly  "  (summoned  the  sixth  of 

/January)  passed  a  law  restricting  the  growth  of  the  colony 

I  to  1,500,000  lbs.,  and  to  1,200,000  in  the  two  years  next 

^  ensuing.     The  exporting  of  the  poorer  qualities  of  tobacco 

by  the  colony  caused  much  dissatisfaction  as  will  be  seen  by 

a  letter  of  the  Company  dated  11th  September,  1621 : 

"  We  are  assured  from  our  Factor  in  Holland  that  except 
the  tobacco  that  shall  next  come  thence  prove  to  be  of  more 
perfection  and  goodnesse  than  that  was  sent  home  last,  there 
is  no  hope  that  it  vend  att  all,  for  albeit  itt  passed  once  yett 
the  wary  buyer  will  not  be  againe  taken,  so  that  Ave  heartily 
wish  that  youe  would  make  some  provision  for  the  burninge 
of  all  base  and  rotten  stuff,  and  hot  suffer  any  but  very  good 
to  be  cured  at  least  sent  home,  whereby  these  M'ould  certainly 
be  more  advanced  in  the  price  upon  lesse  in  the  quantity ; 
howsoever  we  hope  that  no  bad  nor  ill  conditioned  tobacco 
shall  be  by  compelling  authoritie  (abusing  its  power  given 
for  public  good  to  private  benefit)  putt  uppon  or  Factor,  and 
very  earnestly  desire  that  he  may  have  the  helpe  of  justice 
to  constrainc  men  to  pay  their  debts  unto  him  both  remain- 
ing of  the  last  yeares  accompt  and  what  shall  this  ycarse 
growth  deue,  and  tliat  in  Comodities  of  the  same  vallew  and 
goodness  as  shalbe  by  him  contracted  for." 

•Another  account  1«  sixty  ponnds  per  head. 


54  TOBACCO  USED  AS  MONEY. 

At  this  period  it  appears  that  tobacco  was  used  as  money, 
and  as  the  measure  of  price  and  value.  The  taxes  whether 
public,  county,  or  parish,  were  payable  in  tobacco. 

Tathani  says,  "Even  the  tavern  keepers  were  compelled  to 
exchange  a  dinner  for  a  few  pounds  of  tobacco."  The  law 
for  the  regulation  of  payments  in  tobacco  was  passed  in  the 
year  1640.  FroTn-these  facts  and  incidents  connected  with 
the  culture  and  commerce^&f<the  plant  we  see  how  intimately 
it  was  connected  with  both  Cnhrch  and  St^M:  Jones  well 
said  "  the  Establishment  is  indeed  tobacco ;"  the  salary  of 
ministers  was  payable  in  it  according  to  the  wealth  of  the 
parish.  In  most  parishes  16000  lbs.  was  the  yearly  amount, 
"and  in  some  20,000  lbs.  of  Tobacco ;  out  of  which  there  is  a 
deduction  for  Cask,  prizing,  collecting,  and  about  which 
allowance  there  are  sometimes  disputes,  as  are  also  differences 
often  about  the  place,  time,  and  manner  of  delivering  it ;  but 
all  these  things  might  easily  be  regulated.  Tobacco  is  more 
commonly  at  20  s.  per  cent,  than  at  10 ;  so  that  certainly  it 
will  bring  12  s.  8  d.  a  hundred,  which  will  make  16000  (the 
least  salary)  amount  to  100£  per  Ann.  which  it  must  cer- 
tainly clear,  allowing  for  all  petty  charges,  out  of  the  lowness 
of  the  price  stated  which  is  less  than  the  medium  between 
ten  and  twenty  shillings ;  whereas  it  might  be  stated  above 
the  medium,  since  it  is  oftener  at  twenty  than  ten  shillings. 
Besides  the  payment  of  the  salary,  the  surplice  fees  want  a 
better  regulation  in  the  payments ;  for  though  the  allowance 
be  sufficient,  yet  diflterences  often  and  ill  will  arise  about  these 
fees,  whether  they  are  to  be  paid  in  money  or  tobacco,  and 
when  ;  whereas  by  a  small  alteration  and  addition  of  a  few 
laws  in  these  and  the  like  respects,  the  clergy  might  live 
more  happy,  peaceable,  and  better  beloved ;  and  the  people 
would  be  more  easy,  and  pay  never  the  more  dues. 

"  Some  parts  of  the  country  make  but  mean  and  poor 
tobacco  so  that  Clergymen  don't  care  to  live  in  such  parishes; 
but  there  the  payment  might  be  made  in  money,  or  in  the 
produce  of  those  places,  which  might  be  equivalent  to  the 
tobacco  payments ;  better  for  the  minister,  and  as  pleasing  to 
the  people." 

We  find  further  complaints  from  the  London  Company  of 

the  poor  quality  of  the  tobacco  "  sent  home,"  in  a  letter 

addressed  to  the  Governor,  bearing  date  10th  June,  1622 : — 

"  The  tobacco  sent  home  by  the  George  for  the  company 


BUYING  WIVES  WITH  TOBACCO.  55 

proved  very  meane  and  is  yett  unsold  although  it  hath  been 
offered  at  3s.  the  pound.  This  we  tliought  iitt  to  advise  you 
concerning  the  quantity  and  the  manner  how  it  is  raised,  in 
both  wich  being  done  contrario  to  their  directors  and 
extreanily  to  theire  prejudice,  the  Companie  is  very  ill  sattis- 
fied,  will  write  by  the  next,  more  largely." 

In  the  year  1620  the  difficulties  seem  first  to  have  been 
publicly  avowed,  (though  perhaps  before  felt,)  arising  from 
attaching  men  as  permanent  settlers  to  the  colony  without 
an  adequate  supply  of  women,  to  furnish  the  comforts  of     ( 
domestic  life;  and  to  overcome  the  difficulty  "a  hundred      1 
young  women "  of  agreeable  persons  and  respectable  char- 
acters, Avere  selected  in  England  and  sent  out,  at  the  expense      1 
of  the  Company,  as  wives  for  the  settlers.     They  were  very       1 
speedily  appropriated  by  the  young  men  of  the  colony,  who       I 
paid  for  the  privilege  of  choice  considerable  sums  as  purchase       \ 
money,  which  went  to  replenish  the  treasury  of  the  Company,        I 
from  whence  the  cost  of  their  outfit  and  passage  had  been      J 
defrayed. 

This  speculation  proved  so  advantageous  to  that  body,  in 
a  pecuniary  sense,  that  it  was  soon  followed  up  by  sending 
out  sixty  more,  for  whom  larger  prices  were  paid  than  for 
the  first  consignment ;  the  amount  paid  on  the  average  for 
the  first  one  hundred  being  120  pounds  of  tobacco  apiece  for 
each,  then  valued  at  3s.  per  lb.,  and  for  the  second  supply  of 
sixty,  the  average  price  paid  was  150 lbs.  of  tobacco, jthisbeing 
the  jegal  currency^of  the  colony,  and  the  standard  value  by  "A 
wliich  all  contractsTsalaries,  and  prices  were^aid.  In  one  of 
the  Companies  letters  dated  in  London  this  12th  of  August, 
J^621,  we  find  this  account  of  a  portion  of  the  goods  sent  over 
in  the  ship  Marmaduke  : — 

"We  send  you  in  this  ship  one  widdow  and  eleven  maids 
for  wives  for  the  people  in  Virginia ;  there  hath  been  especiall 
care  had  in  the  choise  of  them  for  their  hath  not  any  one  of 
them  beene  received  but  upon  good  comendations,  as  by  a 
note  herewith  sent  you  may  perceive :  we  pray  you  all  there- 
fore in  generall  to  take  them  into  your  care,  and  most  espe- 
cially we  recoTumend  them  to  you,  Mr.  Pountes,  that  at  their 
first  landing  they  may  be  housed,  lodged  and  provided  for  of 
diet  till  they  be  marryed  for  such  was  the  haste  of  sending 


56  CARGOES  OF  WOMEN. 

them  away,  as  that  straightned  with  time,  we  had  no  meanes 
to  putt  provisions  aboard,  which  defect  shalbe  supplied  by 
the  magazine  shipp ;  and  in  case  they  cannot  be  presently 
marry ed  we  desire  they  may  be  putt  to  several  householders 
that  have  wives  till  they  can  be  provided  of  husbands.  There 
are  neare  fifty  more  which  are  shortly  to  come,  we  sent  by 
our  most  honoble  Lord  William  the  Earle  of  Southampton 
and  certain  worthy  gentlemen  who  taking  into  these  consid- 
erations, that  the  Plantation  can  never  nourish  till  families 
be  planted  and  the  respect  of  wives  and  children  fix  the 
people  in  the  soil ;  therefore  have  given  this  fair  beginning 
for  the  reimbursing  of  whose  charges,  itt  is  ordered  that  every 
man  that  marries  them  give  120  lb.  waight  of  best  leafe 
tobacco  for  each  of  them,  and  in  case  any  of  them  dye  that 
proportion  must  be  advanced  to  make  it  upp  to  those  that 
survive ;  and  this  certainly  is  sett  down  for  that  the  price 
sett  upon  the  bages  sent  last  yeare  being  20  lb.  which  was  so 
much  money  out  of  purse  here,  there  was  returned  QQ  lb.  of 
tobacco  only,  and  that  of  the  worst  and  basest,  so  that  fraight 
and  shrinkage  reconed  together  with  the  baseness  of  the 
comoditie  there  was  not  one  half  returned,  which  injury  the 
company  is  sensible  of  as  they  demand  restitution,  which 
accordingly  nmst  be  had  of  them  that  took  uppon  them  the 
dispose  of  them  the  rather  that  no  man  may  mistake  himself, 
in  accomptinge  tobacco  to  be  currant  3s.  sterling  contrary  to 
express  orders. 

"And  though  we  are  desirous  that  marriadge  be  free  accord- 
ing to  the  law  of  nature,  yett  undervow  not  to  have  these 
maids  deterred  and  married  to  servants,  but  only  to  such 
freemen  or  tenants  as  have  means  to  maintaine  tliem  ;  we 
pray  you  therefore  to  be  fathers  to  them  in  this  business,  not 
enforcing  them  to  marrie  against  their  wills;  neither  send 
we  them  to  be  servants,  but  in  case  of  extremitie,  for  we 
would  have  their  condition  so  much  better  as  multitudes  may 
be  allured  thereby  to  come  unto  you ;  and  you  may  assure 
such  men  as  marry  those  women  that  the  first  servants  sent 
over  by  the  company  shall  be  consigned  to  them,  it  being 
our  intent  to  preserve  families  and  proper  married  men  before 
single  persons.  The  tobacco  that  shall  be  due  uppon  the 
marriadge  of  these  maids  we  desire  Mr.  Pountes  to  receive 
and  returne  by  the  first,  as  also  the  little  quantities  of  Pitzarn 
Rock  and  Piece  of  Oare,  the  copie  of  whose  bill  is  here 
returned.  To  conclude,  the  company  for  some  weighty  reasons 
too  long  to  relate,  have  ordered  tliat  no  man  marrying  these 


VALUABLE  CONSIGNMENTS. 


67 


women  expect  the  proportion  of  land  usually  allotted  for 
each  head,  which  to  avoid  clamor  or  other  trouble  hereafter 
you  shall  do  well  to  give  them  notice  of." 

In  another  letter  written  by  the  company  and  dated  Lon- 
don, September  11th, .1621,  they  write: — 

"  By  this  Shipp  and  r inace  called  the  Tyger,  we  also  send 
as  many  maids  and  young  women  as  will  make  up  the  num- 
ber of  fifty,  with  those  twelve  formerly  sent  in  the  Marma- 
duke,  which  we  hope  shalbe  received  with  the  same  Christian 
pietie  and  charitie  as  they  were  sent  fj'om  hence ;  the  pro- 
viding for  them  at  their  first  landing  and  disposing  of  them 
in  marriage  (which  is  our  chief  intent),  we  leave  to  your  care 


BUYINQ    WIVES. 


and  wisdom,  to  take  that  order  as  may  most  conduce  to  their 
good,  and  satisfaction  of  the  Adventurers,  for  the  charges 
disbursed  in  setting  them  forth,  which  coming  to  twelve 
pounds  and  upwards,  they  require  one  hundred  and  fiftie  of 
the  best  leafe  tobacco  for  each  of  them  ;  and  if  any  of  them 
dye  there  must  be  a  proportionable  addition  uppon  the  rest ; 
this  increase  of  thirty  ponnds  is  weight  since  those  sent  in 


58  EXCELLENT  INSTRUCTIONS. 

the  Marmaduke,  they  have  resolved  to  make,  finding  the 
great  shrinkage  and  other  losses  iippon  the  tobacco  from  Vir- 
ginia will  not  leave  lesse,  which  tobacco  as  it  shalbe  received^ 
we  desire  may  be  delivered  to  Mr.  Ed,  Blany,  who  is  to  keep 
thereof  a  particular  account.  We  have  used  extraordinary 
care  and  dilligence  in  the  choice  of  them,  and  have  received 
none  of  whom  we  have  not  had  good  testimony  of  their  honest 
life  and  cariadge,  which  together  with  their  names,  we  send 
them  inclosed  for  the  satisfaction  of  such  as  shall  marry 
them ;  for  whose  further  encouragement  we  desire  you  to 
give  public  notice  that  the  next  spring  we  purpose  to  send 
over  as  many  youths  for  apprentices  to  those  that  shall  now 
marry  any  of  them  and  make  us  due  satisfaction. 

"This  and  tlieire  owne  good  deserts  together  with  your  favor 
and  care^  will  we  hope,  marry  them  all  unto  honest  and  suffi- 
cient men,  whose  means  will  reach  to  present  repayment ; 
but  if  any  of  them  shall  unwarily  or  fondly  bestow  herself 
(for  the  liberty  of  marriadge  we  dare  not  infrindge)  uppon  such 
as  shall  not  be  able  to  give  present  sattisfaction,  we  desire  that 
at  least  as  soon  as  ability  shalbe,  they  be  compelled  to  pay 
the  true  quantity  of  tobacco  proportioned,  and  that  this  debt 
may  have  precedence  of  all  other  to  be  recovered. 

"  For  the  rest,  which  we  hope  will  not  be  man}'-,  we  desire 
your  best  furtherance  for  providing  them  fitting  services  till 
they  may  happen  uppon  good  matches,  and  are  here  per- 
suaded by  many  old  planters  that  there  will  be  good  maisters 
now  found  there,  who  will  readily  lay  down  what  charges 
shall  be  required,  uppon  assurance  of  repayment  at  their 
marriadges,  which  as  just  and  reasonable  we  desire  may  be 
given  them.  But  this  and  many  other  things  in  this  busi- 
ness we  must  refer  to  your  good  considerations  and  fruitful 
endeavors  in  opening  a  work  begun  here  out  of  pity,  and 
tending  so  much  to  the  benefitt  of  the  plantation,  shall  not 
miscarry  for  any  want  of  good  will  or  care  on  your  part." 

In  1622  a  monopoly  of  the  importation  of  tobacco  was 
granted  to  the  Virginia  and  Somcrs  Island  companies. 

"  But  now  at  last  it  hath  pleased  God  for  the  confirmation 
no  doubt  of  our  hopes  and  redoubling  of  our  and  your  cour- 
age, to  incline  His  Majestie's  Royall  heart  to  grant  the  sole 
importation  of  Tobacco  (a  thing  long  and  earnestly  desired),  to 
the  Virginia  and  Somers  Island  Companies,  and  that  upon  such 
conditions  as  the  private  profit  of  each  man  is  likely  to  be 
much  improved  and  the  general  state  of  the  plantation 
strongly  secured,  while  his  Majestie's  revenue  is  so  closely 


KING  JAMES  OPPOSES  TOBACCO-RAISING.  59 

joyned  as  together  witli  the  colonie  it  must  rise  and  faile, 
grow  and  impair,  and  that  not  a  small  matter  neither,  but  of 
twenty  thousand  pounds  per  annum,  (for  the  offer  of  so  much 
in  certainty  hath  his  majestie  been  pleased  to  refuse  in  favor 
of  the  Plantations." 

On  Friday  the  22d  of  March  1622  the  Indians  attacked  the 
plantations  "  and  attemj)ted  in  most  places  under  the  color 
of  unsuspected  amy  tie,  and  by  surprise  to  have  cut  us  all  off 
and  to  have  swept  us  all  away  at  once  throughout  the  whole 
lande  had  itt  not  pleased  God  of  his  abundant  mercy  to 
prevent  them  in  many  places,  for  which  we  can  never  suffi- 
cient magnitie  his  blessed  name." 

But  notwithstanding  this  terrible  massacre  in  which  nearly 
four  hundred  persons  were  slain  the  colony  increased  in 
wealth  and  numbers  as  plantations  were  laid  out  and  the 
colonists  developed  the  various  resources  of  the  country. 
From  the  first  planting  of  tobacco  in  Yirginia  by  the  colony 
it  seemed  to  meet  the  royal  displeasure  of  King  James  the 
First  who  falsely  and  frivolously  sought  to  establish  a 
connection  between  the  balmy  plant,  and  the  influences  of  the 
Evil  One. 

n  1622  King  James  still  opposing  the  cultivation  of 
tobacco  sought  by  every  means  in  his  power  to  discourage 
its  growth  and  culture.  He  urged  the  growing  of  mulberry 
trees  and  the  propagation  of  silk  worms,  as  being  of  more 
value  than  tobacco.  In  a  letter  dated  10th  June  1622, 
addressed  to  the  Governor  and  Council  of  Virginia  by  the 
London  Company  we  find  this  reproof  for  neglecting  the 
cultivation  of  "  mulberrie  trees  " : 

"  His  Ma"^  (Majesty)  above  all  things  requires  from  us  a 
proof  of  silke ;  sharply  reproving  the  neglect  thereof,  where- 
fore we  pray  you  lett  that  little  stock  you  have  be  carefully 
improved,  the  mulberrie  trees  preserved  and  increased,  and 
all  other  fitt  preparations  made  for,  God  willing  before 
Christmas  you  shall  receive  from  us  one  hundred  ounces  of 
Silkworrae  seed  at  least,  which  coming  too  late  from  Valen- 
tia  we  have  been  forced  to  hatch  it  here." 

In  1623  a  letter  was  prepared  for  the  colony  by  order  of 
privy  council  of  the  king  and  addressed  to  Sir  Francis 
Wyatt  Knight  and   Captain  General  of  Virginia  and  to  the 

I 


60  THE  COLONIES  ADMONISHED. 

rest  ot  the  Council  of  State  in  which  the  colony  is  admon- 
ished to  pay  more  attention  to  "  Staple  Commodities."  That 
part  relating  to  it  reads : 

"  The  caref  ull  and  diligent  prosecution  of  Staple  Commo- 
dities which  we  promist ;  we  above  all  things  pray  you  to 
performe  so  as  we  may  have  speedily  the  real  proof  of  your 
cares  and  endeavors  therein,  especially  in  that  of  Iron,  of 
Vines  and  Silk  the  neglect  and  delay  whereof  so  long  is  to  us 
here  cause  of  infinit  grief  and  discontent,  especially  in 
regard  of  his  Majesties  just  resentment  therein  that  his  Eoyall 
grace  and  love  to  tlie  Plantation,  which  after  so  long  a  time 
and  long  a  supply  of  his  Majesties  favor  hath  brought  forth 
no  better  fruit  than  Tobacco. 

"Yett  by  the  goodness  of  God  inclyninghis  princely  heart, 
we  have  received  not  only  from  the  Lords  of  his  Privy 
Counsell,  but  from  his  Royal  mouth  such  assurance  not  only 
of  his  tender  love  and  care  but  also  of  his  Royal  intentions 
for  the  advancement  of  the  Plantation ;  that  we  cannot 
but  exceedingly  i:ejoice  therein  and  persuade  you  with  much 
more  comfort  and  encouragement  to  go  on  in  the  building  up 
of  his  Royal  worke  with  all  sincerity,  care  and  diligence,  and 
that  with  that  perfect  love  and  union  amongst  yourselves  as 
may  really  demonstrate  that  your  intentions  are  all  one,  the 
advancement  of  God's  glorie  and  the  service  of  his  Royall 
Majestie :  for  the  particularities  of  his  Majesties  gratious 
intentions  for  the  future  good,  you  may  in  part  understand 
them  by  the  courses  appointed  by  the  Lords,  whereof  we 
here  inclosed  send  the  orders. 

"And  we  are  further  to  signifie  unto  you  that  the  Lords 
of  his  Majesties  Privy  Counsell,  having  by  his  Majesties  order 
taken  into  their  considerations  the  contract  made  last  Som- 
mer  by  the  Company  have  dissolved  the  same ;  -and  signified 
that  his  Majestie  out  of  his  gracious  and  Royall  intention 
and  princely  favor  to  the  Plantation  hath  resolved  to  grant  a 
sole  Importjon  of  Tobacco  to  the  two  Plantations,  with  an 
exception  only  of  40,000  weight  of  ye  best  Spanish  Tobacco 
to  be  yearly  brought  in. 

"  And  it  hath  also  pleased  his  Majesty  in  favor  of  the 
Plantation  to  reduce  ye  custom  and  importing  of  tobacco  to 
9d.  per  pound :  And  last  of  all  we  are  to  signifie  unto  you 
that  their  Lordships  have  ordered  that  all  the  Tobacco  shall 
be  brought  in  from  both  Plantations  as  by  their  Lordship 
order  whereof  we  send  you  a  copy,  you  may  perceive." 


FOREIGN  TOBACCO  PROHIBITED.  61 

1  In  1624  King  James  prohibited  the  importation  of  foreign 
tobacco  as  well  as  the  planting  of  tobacco  in  England  or 
Ireland.  The  following  is  a  portion  of  the  proclamation : — 
"  Whereas  our  commons,  in  their  last  sessions  of  parlia^ 
ment  became  Immble  petitioners  tons,  that,  for  many  weighty- 
reasons,  much  concerning  the  interest  of  our  kingdom,  and 
the  trade  thereof,  we  would  by  our  royal  power  utterly  pro- 
hibit the  use  of  all  foreign  tobacco,  which  is  not  of  the  growth 
of  our  own  dominions :  And  whereas  we  have  upon  all  occa- 
sions made  known  our  dislike  we  have  ever  had  of  the  use  of 
tobacco  in  general,  as  tending  to  the  corruption  both  of  the 
health  and  manners  of  our  people. 

"  Nevertheless  because  we  have  been  often  and  earnestly 
importuned  by  many  of  our  loving  subjects,  planters,  and 
adventurers  in  Virginia  and  the  Somer  isles ;  that,  as  those 
colonies  are  yet  but  in  their  infancy,  and  cannot  be  brought 
to  maturity,  unless  we  be  pleased,  for  a  time,  to  tolerate  unto 
them  the  planting  and  vending  of  their  own  growth ;  we 
have  condescended  to  their  desires :  and  do  therefore  hereby 
strictly  prohibit  the  importation  of  any  tobacco  from  beyond 
sea,  or  from  Scotland,  into  England  or  Ireland  other  than 
from  our  colonies  before  named ;  moreover  we  strictly  pro- 
hibit the  planting  of  any  tobacco  either  in  England  or 
Ireland." 

Thus  King  James  by  Proclamation  and  Prohibition  set  his 
face  sternly  against  the  growth  and  traffic  in  the  plant,  which 
opposition  knew  no  alteration  and  continued  till  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1625.  James  was  succeeded  by  his  son 
Charles  I.  On  ascending  the  throne  Charles  manifested  the 
same  hostility  towards  the  plant  which  his  father  had.  He 
prohibited  the  importation  of  all  tobacco  excepting  that 
grown  by  the  colony,  and  throughout  his  reign  made  no 
change  in  the  restrictive  laws  against  its  growth  and  sale. 
He  continued  its  sale,  however,  as  a  kingly  monopoly,  allow- 
ing only  those  to  engage  in  it  who  paid  him  for  the  privilege. 
The  Company  had  now  raised  a  capital  of  two  hundred 
thousand  pounds,  but  falling  into  dispute  and  disagreeing 
one  with  another,  Charles  thought  best  to  establish  a  royal 
government. 

Accordingly  he  dissolved  the  Company  in  1626,  "reduc- 
ing the  Country  and  Government  into  his  own  immediate 


(12  •  KING  CHARLES  ON  TOBACCO. 

ordering  all  patents  and  processes  to  issue  in  his  own  name, 
reserving  to  himself  a  quit-rent  of  two  shillings  for  everj 
hundred  acres  of  land." 

The  first  act  was  bj  proclamation  as  follows : — 

"  That  whereas,  in  his  royal  father's  time,  the  charter  of 
the  Yirginia  Company  was  by  a  quo  warranto  annulled;  and 
whereas  his  said  father  was,  and  he  himself  also  is,  of  opinion, 
that  the  government  of  that  Colony  by  a  company  incorpo- 
rated, consisting  of  a  multitude  of  persons  of  various  dispo- 
sitions, amongst  whom  affairs  of  the  greatest  moment  are 
ruled  by  a  majority  of  votes,  was  not  so  proper,  for  carrying 
on,  prosperously,  the  affairs  of  the  colony ;  wherefore,  to 
reduce  the  government  thereof  to  such  a  course  as  might 
best  agree  with  that  form  which  was  held  in  his  royal  mon- 
archy ;  and  considering  also,  that  we  hold  those  territories  of 
Virginia  and  Somer  isles,  as  also  that  of  New  England,  lately 
planted,  with  the  limits  thereof,  to  be  a  part  of  our  royal 
empire ;  we  ordain  that  the  government  of  Yirginia  shall 
immediately  depend  on  ourself,  and  not  be  committed  to  anj 
company  or  corporation,  to  whom  it  may  be  proper  to  trust 
matters  of  trade  and  commerce,  but  cannot  be  fit  to  commit 
the  ordering  of  state  affairs. 

"  Wherefore  oar  commissioners  for  those  affairs  shall  pro- 
ceed as  directed,  till  we  establish  a  council  here  for  that 
colony;  to  be  subordinate  to  out  council  here  for  that  colony. 
And  at  our  charge  we  will  maintain  those  public  officers  and 
ministers  and  that  strength  of  men,  munition,  and  fortifica- 
tion, which  shall  be  necessary  for  the  defence  of  that  planta- 
tion. And  we  will  also  settle  and  assure  the  particular  rights 
and  interests  of  every  planter  and  adventurer.  Lastly, 
whereas  the  tobacco  of  those  plantations  (the  only  present 
means  of  their  subsisting)  cannot  be  managed  for  the  good 
of  the  plantations,  unless  it  be  brought  into  one  fiand,  whereby 
the  foreign  tobacco  of  those  plantations  may  yield  a  certain 
and  ready  price  to  the  owners  thereof  :  to  avoid  all  differences 
between  the  planters  and  adventurers  themselves,  we  resolve 
to  take  the  same  into  our  own  hands,  and  to  give  such  prices 
for  the  same  as  may  give  reasonable  satisfaction,  whereof  we 
will  determine  at  better  leisure." 

From  this  time  forward  the  Plantation  seemed  to  prosper, 
Charles  granted  lands  to  all  the  planters  and  adventurers 
who  would  till  them,  upon  paying  the  annual  sum  of  two 
shillings  payable  to  the  crown  for  each    hundred    acres. 


KING  CHARLES  AS  A  TOBACCO  MERCHANT.  63 

direction,  appointing  the  Governor  and  Council  himself,  and 
Before  the  death  of  King  James,  however,  the  cultivation 
of  tobacco  had  become  so  extensive  that  every  other  product 
seemed  of  but  little  value  in  comparison  with  it,  and  the 
price  realized  from  its  sale  being  so  much  greater  than  that 
obtained  for  "  Corne,"  the  latter  was  neglected  and  its  culture 
almost  entirely  abandoned. 

Arthur  and  Carpenter,  in  their  History  of  Virginia,  give 
a  graphic  and  truthful  picture  of  its  cultivation  during  the 
reign  of  King  James : — 

"  The  first  articles  of  commerce  to  the  production  of  which 
the  early  settlers  almost  exclusively  devoted  themselves,  were 
potash,  soap,  glass  and  tar.  Distance,  however,  and  a  want 
of  the  proper  facilities  to  enable  them  to  manufacture  cheaply, 
rendered  the  cost  of  these  commodities  so  great,  that  exports 
of  a  similar  character  from  Russia  and  Sweden  were  still 
enabled  to  maintain  their  old  ascendency  in  the  markets  of 
Europe.  After  many  fruitless  and  costly  experiments  in  the 
cultivation  of  the  vine,  the  growing  demand  for  tobacco 
enabled  the  planters  to  turn  their  labor  into  a  profitable 
channel.  As  the  demand  increased  the  profits  became  corre- 
spondingly great,  and  every  other  species  of  labor  was  aban- 
doned for  the  cultivation  of  tobacco. 

"  The  houses  were  neglected,  the  palisades  suffered  to  rot 
down,  the  fields,  gardens  and  public  squares,  even  the  very 
streets  of  Jamestown  were  planted  with  tobacco.  The  towns- 
people, more  greedy  of  gain  than  mindful  of  their  own 
security,  scattered  abroad  into  the  wilderness,  where  they 
broke  up  small  pieces  of  rich  ground  and  made  their  crop 
regardless  of  their  proximity  to  the  Indians,  in  whose  good 
faith  so  little  reliance  could  be  placed." 

During  the  reign  of  Charles  I.  many  families  of  respect- 
able connection  joined  the  colony,  and  from  this  time 
forward  the  colony  increased  in  wealth  as  well  as  numbers. 
King  Charles,  to  use  the  language  of  another,  had  now  com- 
menced "  as  a  tobacco  merchant  and  monopolist,"  and  in  1627 
issued  a  proclamation  renewing  his  already  strong  monopoly 
more  effectually,  by  appointing  certain  officers  of  London 
"to  seize  all  foreign  tobacco,  not  of  the  growth  of  Virginia 
or  Bermudas,  for  his  benefit,  agreeable  to  a  former  commis- 
sion :  also  to  buy  up  for  his  use  all  the  tobacco  coming  from 


u 


TOBACCO  TAXED. 


onr  said  plantations,  and  to  sell  the  same  again  for  his  benefit." 
Again  in  1630  King  Charles  issued  another  proclamation, 


OROWIXG    TOBACCO    IN    THE    STREETS. 


and  among  other  restrictions  limited  the  importation  of  it 
from  the  colony.  Quickly  following  this  the  King  issued  in 
1632  another  proclamation  regulating  the  retailing  of  tobacco. 
In  1634  he  also  prohibited  the  landing  of  tobacco  any  where 
except  at  the  quay  near  the  custom  house  in  London. 

In  1636  Charles  appoined  Sir  John  Harvey  to  be  continued 
governor  of  the  Plantation,  In  1643  parliament  laid  a  tax 
for  the  year  1644,  calling  it  Excise,  and  also  laid  a  duty  of 
four  shillings  per  pound  on  foreign,  and  two  shillings  per 
pound  on  English  tobacco.  From  what  has  already  been 
written,  it  will  be  seen  that  both  King  James  and  his  son 


PLANTING  IN  MARYLAND.  65 

Charles  I.  enacted  the  most  stringent  laws  against  its  import- 
ation, nearly  suppressing  tlic  trade,  wliich  caused  the 
English  farmers  to  cultivate  it  for  home  use ;  but  anotlier 
law  was  now  added  to  suppress  its  growth  on  English  soil. 

Fairholt  in  speaking  of  the  hostility  of  King  James  to  the 
plant  says : 

"  Wlien  Kings  make  unnecessary  and  unjust  laws,  subjects 
naturally  study  how  to  evade  them :  it  is  a  mere  system  of 
self-defence  ;  and  as  James  nearly  suppressed  the  importation 
of  tobacco  the  English  began  to  grow  it  on  their  own  land. 
But  the  Scottish  Solomon  who  was  on  the  alert,  added 
another  law  restraining  its  cultivation  'to  misuse  and  mis- 
employ the  soil  of  this  fruitful  Kingdom.'  As  this  enforced  the 
trade  with  the  English  colony  of  Virginia  alone,  it  was  soon 
found  that  Spanish  and  Portuguese  tobacco  might  be  brought 
into  port  on  the  payment  of  the  old  duty  of  twopence  a 
pound ;  thus  a  large  trade  was  carried  on  with  their  jilanters 
to  the  injury  of  the  British  colonists. 

"  Its  use  increased  in  spite  of  all  legislative  laws  and 
enactments  and  James  ended  by  prohibiting  any  person  from 
dealing  in  the  article  who  did  not  hold  his  letters  patent. 
By  this  means  the  trade  was  monopolized,  the  consumers 
oppressed,  importation  diminished,  and  the  London  Company 
of  Virginia  traders  ultimately  ruined.  Those  who  are  fond 
of  excusing  the  evil  acts  of  one  of  the  worst  of  English 
Kings,  pretend  to  see  James'  care  for  his  subjects'  health  and 
wealth  in  these  restrictions,  totally  regardless  of  the  fact 
that  James  cared  for  neither  when  the  monopoly  brought 
large  sums  into  his  own  pocket." 

"  In  1632  Charles  I.  granted  to  Sir  George  Calvert  (who 
about  this  time  was  made  Lord  Baltimore)  the  territory  now 
known  as  Maryland ;  soon  after  receiving  the  grant  he  died, 
when  his  son  took  the  grant  in  his  own  name.  The  next 
year  he  sailed  from  England  with  two  hundred  persons  and 
settled  in  his  new  possessions.  The  colony  from  the  first, 
prospered  far  better  than  the  colony  of  Virginia  and  soon 
laid  the  foundation  of  a  strong  and  substantial  government. 
Like  the  Virginians  they  soon  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of 
tobacco  which  seemed  as  well  adapted  to  the  soil  as  the 
other  products,  corn  and  English  wheat.  The  Indians  were 
found  here  as  in  the  Plantation  of  Virginia  planting  tobacco 
5 


66 


NEGRO  LABOR. 


as  they  did  Indian  corn  and  cultivating  little  patches  of  it 
near  their  wigwams  choosing  the  most  fertile  soil  th© 
females  of  the  tribe  being  the  actual  cultivators. 

From   this   time   forward   both   colonies  developed   into 


NATIVES    GROWING   TOBACCO. 


strong  and  flourishing  plantations  and  with  each  succeeding 
year  increased  the  cultivation  of  tobacco  which  had  now 
become  more  extensively  cultivated  than  all  the  other  pro- 
ducts combined.  Its  culture  however  was  looked  upon 
with  the  same  disapproval  by  Cliarles  II.  who  confirmed  the 
old  laws  against  its  sale  and  cultivation.  But  notwithstand- 
ing the  remonstrances  of  the  Stuarts  the  plant  grew  in  use 
and  favor  and  could  not  be  uprooted  even  by  a  kingly  hand. 
The  early  cultivators  of  the  plant  received  a  fresh  impetus 
from  the  importation  of  a  new  species  of  labor  in  the  form 
of  Negro  slaves  brought  from  the  West  India  islands.     Tliej 


IMPORTATION  OF  NEGROES.  67 

arrived  in  the  Ship  Treasurer  "  being  manned  by  the  best 
men  of  the  colony  who  set  out  on  roving  in  ye  Spanish 
dominions  in  the  West  Indies"  and  after  a  successful  cruise 
against  the  Spaniards  returned  witli  their  spoils  including  a 
certain  number  of  Negroes.  E.olfe  in  alluding  to  the  impor- 
tation of  Negroes  says : 

"  About  the  last  of  August  came  in,  a  Dutch  man-of-warre 
that  sold  us  twenty  negars." 

Most  writers  are  of  the  opinion  that  this  was  in  1620,  one 
of  whom  says  "in  tlie  same  year  that  the  Pilgrims  landed  at 
Plymouth,  slaves  landed  in  Virginia."  Another  writer  says 
of  the  introduction  of  slave  labor  into  the  Plantations,  "Is 
there  not  a  probability  that  the  vessel  was  under  control  of 
Argall,  if  not  the  ship  Treasurer?  If  twenty  negroes  came 
in  1619,  as  alleged,  their  increase  was  very  slow,  for  accord- 
ing to  a  census  of  16th  of  February,  1621r,  there  were  but 
twenty-two  then  in  the  colony,  distributed  as  follows:  eleven 
at  Flourdiew  Hundred,  three  at  James  City,  one  at  James 
Island,  one  at  the  plantation  opposite  James  City,  four  at 
"Warisquoyok,  and  two  at  Elizabeth  City." 

About  the  same  time  that  "negars"  landed  in  the  colony, 
commenced  the  arrival  of  starving  boys  and  girls  picked  up 
out  of  the  streets  of  London,  The  "negars"  are  described 
as  follows  by  an  early  writer  of  the  colony.  "  The  negroes 
live  in  small  cottages  called  quarters,  in  about  six  in  a  gang, 
under  the  direction  or  an  overseer  or  baliff ;  who  takes  care 
that  they  tend  such  land  as  the  owner  allots  and  orders,  upon 
which  they  raise  Hogs  and  Cattle,  plant  Indian  Corn  (or 
maize)  and  Tobacco  for  the  use  of  their  Master  ;  out  of  which 
the  overseer  has  a  dividend  (or  share)  in  proportion  to  the 
number  of  hands  including  himself;  this  with  several  privi- 
leges in  his  salary,  and  is  an  ample  recompense  for  his 
pains,  and  encouragement  of  his  industrious  care,  as  to  the 
labor,  health,  and  provision  of  the  negroes.  The  negroes  are 
very  numerous,  some  gentlemen  having  hundreds  of  them  of 
all  sorts,  to  whom  they  bring  great  profit ;  for  the  sake  of 
which  they  are  obliged  to  keep  them  well,  and  not  over- 
work, starve,  or  famish  them,  besides  other  inducements  to 
favor  them,  which  is  done  in  a  great  degree,  to  such  espe- 
cially that  are  laborious,  careful,  and  honest;  though  indeed 
some  Masters,  careless  of  their  own  interest  and  reputation, 
are  too  cruel  and  neglie-ent. 


6S  COMPETITION. 

"  The  negroes  are  not  only  increased  by  fresh  supplies  from 
Africa  and  the  "West  India  Islands,  but  also  are  very  prolific 
among  themselves;  and  they  that  are  born  there  talk  good 
English,  and  effect  our  language,  habits,  and  customs ;  and 
tho'  they  be  naturally  of  a  barbarous  and  cruel  temper,  yet 
are  they  kept  under  by  severe  discipline  upon  occasion,  and 
by  good  laws  are  prevented  from  running  away,  injuring 
the  English  or  neglecting  their  business.  Their  work  (or 
chimerical  hard  slavery)  is  not  very  laborious;  their  greatest 
hardship  consisting  in  that  they  and  their  posterity  are  not 
at  their  own  liberty  or  disposal,  but  are  the  property  of  their 
owners;  and  when  they  are  free  they  know  not  how  to 
provide  so  well  for  themselves  generally ;  neither  did  they 
live  so  plentifully  nor  (uiany  of  them)  so  easily  in  their  own 
country  where  they  are  made  slaves  to  one  another,  or  taken 
captive  by  their  enemies.  Their  work  is  to  take  care  of  the 
stock,  and  plant  Corn,  Tobacco,  Fruits  and  which  is  not 
harder  than  thrashing,  hedging,  or  ditching;  besides,  though 
they  are  out  in  the  violent  heat,  wherein  they  delight,  yet 
in  wet  or  cold  weather  there  is  little  occasion  for  their 
working  in  the  fields,  in  which  few  will  let  them  be  abroad, 
lest  by  this  means  they  might  get  sick  or  die,  which  would 
prove  a  great  loss  to  their  owners,  a  good  Negroe  being 
Bometimes  worth  three  (nay  four)  score  pounds  sterling, 
if  he  be  a  tradesmen ;  so  that  upon  this  (if  upon  no  other 
account)  they  are  obliged  not  to  overwork  them,  but  to  clooth 
and  feed  them  sufiicientl^'',  and  take  care  of  their  health." 

The  planters,  supplied  with  greater  facilities  for  the  work, 
now  increased  the  size  of  their  tobacco  plantations,  "  taking 
up  new  ground "  (clearing  the  land)  and  planting  a  much 
larger  area.  The  first  exportation  of  the  'colony's  tobacco 
was  brought  into  competition  with  that  of  much  finer  flavor, 
which  had  acquired  an  established  reputation  long  before 
the  English  began  the  culture  of  the  plant  in  the  New  World. 
The  Spanish,  Dutch  and  Portuguese  had  long  monopolized 
its  culture  and  trade,  and  brought  from  St.  Domingo, 
Jamaica,  St.  Thomas,  the  Phillij^pine  Islands,  "West  Florida, 
and  various  parts  of  South  America,  several  varieties  of 
tobacco  of  excellent  quality,  and  which  sold  at  an  exorbitant 
price.  On  testing  the  tobacco  grown  by  the  London  and 
Plj'moutli  companies  it  was  found  to  be  sweet  and  mild  in 
flavor,  of  a  light  color,  and  well  adapted  for  smoking.     On 


QROWINQ  SUCKERS. 


69 


its  first  introduction  into  England  it  sold  for  3s.  per  pound, 
but  as  its  culture  increased  the  price  lessened,  until  it  was 
sold  at  one-half  this  amount. 

The  planters,  who  at  first  cultivated  small  patches,  now 
planted  large  fields  of  tobacco,  and  such  was  the  greed  for 
gain  that  some  planters  gathered  a  second  crop  upon  the  same 
field  from  the  suckers  left  gro^Aing  upon  the  parent  stalk. 
Tatham*  says  in  regard  to  it : — 

"  It  has  been  customary  in  former  ages  to  rear  an  inferior 
plant  from  the  sucker  which  projects  from  the  root  after  the 
cutting  of  an  early  plant ;  and  thus  a  second  crop  has  often 
been  obtained  from  the  same  field  by  one  and  the  same  course 
of  culture ;  and  although  this  scion  is  of  a  sufficient  quality 
for  smoking,  and  might  become  preferred  in  the  weaker 
kinds  of  snuff,  it  has  been  (I  think  very  properly)  thought 
eligible  to  prefer  a  prohibitory  law,  to  a  risk  of  imposition 
by  means  of  similitude.  The  practice  of  cultivating  suckers 
is  on  these  accounts  not  only  discountenanced  as  fraudulent, 
but  the  constables  are  strictly  enjoyned  ex  officio  to  make 
diligent  search,  and  to  employ  the  j^osse  commitatus  in 
destroying  such  crops ;  a  law  indeed  for  which,  to  the  credit 


DISTR»YINO    SUCKKUS, 


of  the  "Virginians,  there  is  seldom  occasion ;  yet  some  few 
instances  have  occurred,  within  my  day,  where  the  consta- 
bles have  very  honorably   carried   it   into   execution    in    a 


•Eggay  on  Tobacco,  London,  1800. 


70  VIRGINIA  LANDS. 

manner  truly  exeraplaiy,  and  productive  of  public  good." 

Fairholt  says  of  the  same  subject: — 

"  It  was  sometimes  the  custom  with  planters  to  reset  tlie 
suckers,  and  thus  grow  a  double  crop  on  one  field,  such  con- 
duct was  disallowed  ;  for  tlie  reason  that  the  crop  was  inferior, 
and  the  more  honest  grower,  who  conscientiously  cleared  his 
plants,  and  gave  them  abundance  of  room  to  grow,  was  dis- 
honestly competed  with ;  and  the  first  rate  character  of  the 
Virginian  crop  prejudiced  by  the  action." 

Fairholt  makes  a  mistake  in  speaking  of  the  planter  as 
re-setting  the  suckers,  and  his  statement  shows  him  to  be 
entirely  unacquainted  with  the  habits  of  the  plant.  As  soon 
as  the  jDlants  are  harvested,  the  stump  of  the  plant  remaining 
in  the  ground  puts  forth  one  or  more  vigorous  suckers  or 
shoots,  which  often  in  a  good  season  grow  almost  as  high  as 
the  parent  stalk.  In  some  tobacco-growing  sections  one  or 
two  crops  of  suckers  are  gathered  besides  the  first  crop. 

The  Creole  planters  in  Louisiana  are  said  to  grow  three 
crops  in  this  manner,  the  first  or  parent  crop  and  two  growths 
of  suckers.  The  quality  of  leaf,  however,  is  greatly  inferior, 
as  it  is  small  and  thin  and  lacking  in  all  the  qualities  neces- 
sary for  a  fine  leaf.  The  planters  now  adopted  new  methods 
of  culture,  and  cultivated  several  species  of  the  plant  known 
as  Oronoko  and  little  Frederick,  although  they  did  not  fer- 
tilize the  fields,  even  when  the  soil  became  impoverished,  but 
simply  took  new  fields  for  its  culture. 

Hugh  Jones  says  of  the  kinds  of  tobacco  grown  in 
Virginia: — 

''^'The  land  between  the  James  and  York  rivers  seemes 
/nicely  adapted  for  sweet  scented  tobacco;  for 'tis  observed 
/  that  the  goodness  decreaseth  the  farther  you  go  to  the  north- 
ward of  the  one,  and  the  southward  of  the  other ;  but  tliis 
may  be  (I  believe)  attributed  in  some  measure  to  the  seed  and 
management,  as  well  as  to  the  land  and  latitude :  For  on 
York  river  in  a  small  tract  of  land  called  Diggens  neck,  which 
is  poorer  than  a  great  deal  of  other  land  in  the  same  latitude, 
by  a  particular  seed  and  management,  is  made  the  famous 
crop  known  by  the  name  of  E  Dees,  remarkable  for  its  mild 
taste  and  fine  smell."     He  speaks  of  the  planters  and  their 

\   plantations  as  follows : — "Neither  the  interests  nor  inclina- 
tions of  the  Virginians  induces  them  to  cohabit  in  towns:  so 


PICTURE  OF  EARLY  PLANTERS.  71 

that  tliey  are  not  forward  in  contributing  their  assistance 
towards  the  making  of  particnlar  places,  every  plantation 
affording  the  owner  the  provision  of  a  little  market;  where- 
fore they  most  commonly  build  upon  some  convenient  spot 
or  neck  of  hind  in  their  own  plantation,  though  towns  are 
laid  out  and  established  in  each  county. 

"  The  whole  country  is  a  perfect  forest,  except  where  tlio 
woods  are  cleared  for  plantations,  and  old  fields,  and  where 
have  been  formerly  Indian  towns,  and  poisoned  fields  and 
meadows,  where  the  timber  has  been  burnt  down  in  fire 
hunting  and  otherwise;  and  about  the  creeks  and  rivers  are 
large  rank  morasses  or  marshes,  and  up  the  country  are  poor 
savannahs.  The  gentlemen's  seats  are  of  late  built  for  the 
most  part  of  good  brick,  and  many  of  timber  very  handsome, 
commodious,  and  capacious;  and  likewise  the  common 
planters  live  in  pretty  timber  houses,  neater  than  the  farm 
houses  are  generally  in  England :  With  timber  also  are 
built  houses  for  the  overseers  and  out-houses;  among  which 
is  the  kitchen  apart  from  the  dwelling  house,  because  of  the 
smell  of  hot  victuals,  offensive  in  hot  weather. 

"  The  habits,  life,  customs,  computations  of  the  Virginians, 
are  much  the  same  as  about  London,  which  they  esteem 
their  home;  and  for  the  most  part  have  contemptible  notions 
of  England,  and  wrong  sentiments  of  Bristol,  and  the  other 
out-posts,  which  they  entertain  from  seeing  and  hearing  the 
common  dealers,  sailors,  and  servants  that  come  from  those 
towns,  and  the. country  places  in  England  and  Scotland, 
whose  language  and  manners  are  strange  to  them ;  for  the 
planters  and  even  the  native  negroes  generally  talk  good 
English  without  idiom  and  tone,  and  can  discourse  handsomely 
upon  most  common  subjects:  and  conversing  with  persons 
belonging  to  trade  and  navigation  from  London,  for  the 
most  part  they  are  much  civilized,  and  wear  the  best  of 
clothes  according  to  their  station  ;  nay,  sometimes  too  good 
for  their  circumstances,  being  ibr  the  generality,  comely  hand- 
some persons  of  good  features  and  fine  complexions  (if  they 
take  care)  of  good  manners  and  address. 

"  They  are  not  very  easily  persuaded  to  the  improvement 
of  useful  inventions  (except  a  few,  such  as  sawing  mills) 
neither  are  they  great  encouragers  of  manufactures,  liecause 
of  the  trouble  and  certain  expense  in  attempts  of  this  kind, 
with  uncertain  prospect  of  gain  ;  whereas  by  their  staple 
eonnnodity,  tobacco,  they  are  certain  to  get  a  plentiful 
provision  ;  nay,  often  very  great  estates.  Upon  this  account 
they  think  it  folly  to  take  off  their  hands  (or  negroes)  and 


72  LARGE  PLAIN  TATIONS. 

employ  their  care  and  time  about  anything  that  may  make  them 
lessen  their  crop  of  tobacco.  So  tliat  though  they  are  apt  to 
learn,  yet  they  are  fond  of  and  will  follow  their  own  ways, 
humors  and  notions,  being  not  easily  brought  to  new 
projects  and  schemes ;  so  that  I  question  if  they  Avould  have 
been  improved  upon  by  the  Mississippi  or  South  sea,  or  any 
other  such  monstrous  bubbles.  The  common  planters  lead- 
ing easy  lives  without  much  labor,  or  an}'-  manly  exercise, 
except  horse-racing,  nor  diversion,  except  cock-lighting,  in 
which  some  greatly  delight. 

"  This  easy  way  of  living,  and  the  heat  of  the  summer, 
makes  some  very  lazy,  who  are  then  said  to  be  climate-struck 
They  are  such  lovers  of  riding,  that  almost  every  ordinary 
person  keeps  a  horse ;  and  I  have  known  some  spend  the 
morning  in  ranging  several  miles  in  the  woods  to  find  and 
catch  their  horses  to  ride  only  two  or  three  miles  to  the  Church, 
to  the  Court-House  or  to  a  IIorse-Race,  where  they  generally 
appoint  to  meet  upon  business ;  and  are  more  certain  of  finding 
those  that  they  want  to  speak  or  deal  with,  than  at  their 
home.  No  people  can  entertain  their  friends  with  better  cheer 
and  welcome ;  and  stranger  and  traveler  is  here  treated  in  the 
most  free,  yjlentiful,  and  hospitable  manner ;  so  that  a  few 
Inns  or  Ordinaries  on  the  road  are  sufficient." 

This  is  no  doubt  a  correct  picture  of  the  early  planters  of 
Yirginia.  Many  of  them  became  the  owners  of  large  plant- 
ations and  all  those  who  were  successful  growers  of  tobacco 
became  wealthy  in  proportion  to  the  quality  of  leaf  produced. 

The  merchants,  factors  or  store-keepiers  bought  up  the 
tobacco  of  the  planters  paying  in  goods  or  "  current  Spanish 
money,  or  with  sterling  bills  payable  in  Giteat  Britain."  At 
first  the  cultivation  of  tobacco  by  the  colony  was  confined  to 
Jamestown  and  the  immediate  vicinity,  b\it  as  the  colony 
increased  and  the  countiy  became  more  densely  populated, 
plantations  were  laid  out  in  the  various  counties  and  a  large 
quantity  was  produced  some  ways  from  the  great  center 
Jamestown ;  accordingly  various  methods  were  adopted  to 
get  the  tobacco  to  market,  some  of  wliich  was  sent  by  boats 
or  canoes  down  the  rivers,  while  some  was  conveyed  in  carts 
and  wagons  while  another  method  was  by  rolling  in  hoops. 

Tatham  in  his  interesting  work  on  tobacco,  gives  the  fol- 
lowing description  of  the  method : 


GETTING  TO  MARKET. 


73 


"I  believe  rolling  tobacco  the  distance  of  many  hundred 
miles,  is  a  mode  of  conveyance  peculiar  to  Virginia;  and 
for  which  the  early  population  of  that  country  deserve  a 
very  handsome  credit.  JS'ecessity  (that  very  prolific  mother 
of  invention),  first  suggested  the  idea  of  rolling  by  hand ; 
time  and  experience  have  led  to  the  introduction  of  horses, 
and  have  ripened  human  skill,  in  this  kind  of  carriage,  to  a 
degree  of  perfection  vs^hich  merits  the  adoption  of  the  mother 
countr}'^,  but  which  will  be  better  explained  under  the  next 
head  of  this  subject. 

"  The  hogsheads,  which  are  designed  to  be  rolled  in  com- 
mon hoops,  are  made  closer  in  the  joints  than  if  they  were 
intended  for  the  wagon  ;  and  are  plentifully  hooped  with 
strong  hickory  hoops  (which  is  the  toughest  kind  of  wood), 
with  the  bark  upon  them,  which  remains  for  some  distance  a 


CARRYING    TOBACCO    TO    MARKST. 

protection  against  the  stones.  Two  hickory  saplings  are 
affixed  to  the  hogshead,  for  shafts  by  boring  an  auger-hole 
through  them  to  receive  the  gudgeons  or  pivots,  in  the  man- 
ner of  a  field  rolling-stone;  and  these  receive  pins  of  wood, 
with  square  tapered  points,  which  are  admitted  through 
square  mortises  made  central  in  the  heading,  and  driven  a 
considerable  depth  into  the  solid  tobacco.  Upon  the  hind 
part  of  these  shafts,  between  the  horses  and  the  hogshead,  a 
few  light  planks  are  nailed,  and  a  kind  of  little  cart  body  is 
constructed  of  a  sufficient  size  to  contain  a  bag  or  two  of 


74  VIRGINIA  PLANT-BED. 

provender  and  provision,  together  with  an  axe,  and  such 
other  tools  as  may  be  needed  upon  the  road,  in  case  of 
accident.  In  this  manner  they  set  out  to  the  inspection  in 
companies,  very  often  joining  society  with  the  wagons,  and 
always  pursuing  the  same  method  of  encamping." 

The  methods  of  making  the  plant  bed,  cultivating  and 
harvesting,  by  the  early  planters  may  be  interesting  to  all 
growers  of  the  plant  and  are  here  described  as  showing  the 
progress  made  in  cutting  tobacco  from  that  time  until  now. 
''  "In  spring  red  seed,  in  preference  to  the  white,  is  put  into 
a  clean  put ;  milk  or  stale  beer  is  poured  upon  it,  and  it  is 
left  for  two  or  tliree  days  in  this  state ;  it  is  then  mixed  with 
a  quantity  of  line  fat  earth,  and  set  aside  in  a  hot  chamber, 
till  the  seeds  begin  to  put  out  shoots.  They  are  then  sown 
in  a  hot-bed.  When  the  young  plants  have  grown  to  a 
finger's  length,  they  are  taken  up  between  the  fifteenth  and 
twenty-second  of  May,  and  planted  in  ground  that  has  been 
pi-eviously  well  manured  with  the  dung  of  doves  or  swine. 
They  are  placed  at  square  distances  of  one  and  a  half-foot 
from  one  another.  In  dry  weather,  they  are  now  to  be 
watered  with  lukewarm  water  softly  showered  upon  them, 
between  sunset  and  twilight.  When  these  plants  are  full 
two  feet  high,  the  top  of  the  stems  are  broken  oflP,  to  make 
the  leaves  grow  thicker  and  broader.  Here  and  there  are 
left  a  few  plants  without  having  their  tops  broken  off,  in 
order  that  they  may  afford  seeds  for  another  year.  Through- 
out the  summer  the  other  plants  are  from  time  to  time, 
pruned  at  the  top,  and  the  whole  field  is  carefully  weeded  to 
make  the  growth  of  the  leaf  so  much  the  more  vigorous. 

"  In  the  month  of  September,  from  the,  sixteenth  day,  and 
betM-een  the  hours  of  ten  in  the  morning  and  four^  in  the 
afternoon,  the  best  leaves  are  to  be  taken  off.  It  is  more 
advantngeous  to  pluck  the  leaves  when  they  are  dry  than 
when  they  are  moist.  When  plucked  they  are  to  be  immedi- 
ately brought  home,  and  hung  upon  cords  within  the  house 
to  dry,  in  as  full  exposure  as  is  possible  to  the  influence  of 
the  sun  and  air  ;  but  so  as  to  receive  no  rain.  In  this  expo- 
sure they  remain  till  the  months  of  March  and  April  follow- 
ing ;  when  they  are  to  be  put  up  in  bundles,  and  conveyed 
to  the  store-house,  in  which  they  may  be  kept,  that  they 
may  be  there  till  more  perfectly  dried  by  a  moderate  heat. 
Within  eight  days  they  must  be  removed  to  a  different 
place,  where  they  are  to  be  sparingly  sprinkled  with  salt 
water,  and  left  till  the  leaves  shall  be  no  longer  warm  to  the 


MARYLAND  PLANT-BED. 


75 


feeling  of  the  hand.  A  barrel  of  water  Nvith  six  handfuls  of 
salt  are  the  proportions.  After  all  this  the  tobacco  leaves 
may  be  laid  aside  for  commercial  exportation.  They  will 
remain  fresh  for  three  years." 

In  Maryland  they  formerly  prepai'ed  the  land  for  a  plant- 
bed  by  burning   upon  it  a  great   quantity  of  brush-wood, 


ENRICHING    PLANT-BED. 


afterwards  raking  tlie  surface  fine  ;  the  seed  was  then  sowed 
broadcast.  The  young  plants  were  hept  free  from  weeds, 
and  were  transplanted  when  about  two  inches  high. 
The  cultivation  of  tobacco  gradually  spread  from  one  State 
to  another.  From  Virginia  it  was  introduced  into  North 
Carolina  and  Maryland  and  finally  Kentucky  which  is  now 
the  largest  producing  tobacco  State  in  the  Union.  The 
demand  for  Virginia  tobacco  continued  to  increase  and  long 
before  the  Kevolntionary  war,  Virginia  exported  annually 
thousands  of  hogsheads  of  leaf  tobacco.  Half  a  century 
ago  the  plant  began  to  be  cultivated  in  Ohio  and  from  the 
first  grew  remarkably  well,  producing  a  leaf  adapted  for  both 
cutting  and  cigar  pui-poses. 

Tobacco  wa8  planted  in  New  Netherland  (New  York)  by 


76       TOBACCO-GROWING  IN  NEW  YORK  AND  LOUISIANA. 

the  early  Dutch  settlers  and  in  1638  "had  become  a  staple 
production."  In  1639  "  from  Virginia  nmnbers  of  persons 
whose  terms  of  service  had  expired,  were  attracted  to  Man- 
hattan, where  they  introduced  improved  modes  of  cultivating 
tobacco."  Van  Twiller  was  himself  a  grower  of  the  plant 
and  had  his  tobacco  farm  at  Greenwich.  Soon  after  its 
cultivation  began  it  was  subjected  to  Excise ;  and  regulations 
were  published  to  check  the  abuses  which  injured  "the  high 
name  "  it  had  gained  in  foreign  countries.  * 

Wailes  says  of  the  early  cultivation  of  tobacco  in 
Mississippi : 

"  When  the  country  came  under  the  dominion  of  Spain,  a 
market  was  opened  in  New  Orleans ;  a  trade  in  tobacco  was 
established,  and  a  fixed  and  remunerating  price  was  paid  for 
it,  delivered  at  the  king's  warehouses.  Tobacco  thus  became 
the  first  marketable  staple  production  of  Missisippi."  f 

An  English  writer  has  the  following  account  of  the  culture 
of  tobacco  in  Louisiana  by  the  French: 

"Tobacco  is  another  plant  indigenous  to  this  part  of 
America ;  the  French  colonists  cultivated  it  with  such  success 
that  had  the}"-  received  any  encouragement  from  their 
government  they  might  soon  have  rivalled  Virginia  and 
Maryland ;  but  instead  of  this  they  were  taxed  heavily  for 
cultivating  it,  by  duties  laid  on  the  trade;  what  they  pro- 
duced was  of  so'excellent  a  quality,  as  to  sell  some  at  five 
shillings  a  pound.  There  is  one  advantage  in  this  culture 
here  which  ought  not  to  be  forgotten ;  in  Louisiana  the 
French  planters  after  the  tobacco  is  cut,  weeded  and  cleaned 
the  ground  on  which  it  grew  the  roots,  push  forth  fresh 
shoots,  which  are  managed  in  the  same  manner  as  the  first 
crop.  By  this  means  a  second  crop  is  made  on  the  same 
ground,  and  sometimes  a  third.  These  seconds  indeed,  as 
they  are  called,  do  not  usually  grow  so  high  as  the  first  plant, 
but  notwithstanding  they  make  very  good  tobacco." 

During  the  reign  of  the  Stuarts,  the  plant  was  first  culti- 
vated in  New  England  but  only  in  small  quantities:}:  and 


•Jacob  vnn  Clunlrr  nnrt  David  ProvooEt  w'-rc  nppolntod  inspectors  of  the  new  staple 
tobacco.  "Ill  16:.2tlic  cdmiiioiially  ft  MaiiliMtlaii  wan  inloinud  that,  to  show  their  gooU 
intentions,  the  AiiistiTiUiin  dircctorahail  deteiiiiihed  imiike  off  the  export  duty  of  tobacco. 

till  1783  N'r.  Will.  Dunbar  writes:  " TIh!  koiI  of  Katch<  z  is  particularly  tavorablo  lor 
tobiirco  and  there  an;  overseers  there,  who  will  almost  tugagc  to  produce  you  between  two 
and  three  hogshearls  to  the  hand  bcMdes  provisions."  .,».,■        . 

±  "  Every  farmer  plants  u  quantity  of  tobiieeo  near  liis  liouse  in  proportion  to  the  size  ot 
his  family.  It  is  likewise  very  necessary  that  they  should  plant  tobacco,  because  it  la  80 
universally  smoked  by  the  cominou  people.'*— jfaifn's  travels  in  iVort/j  Ainerica,  li72. 


NEW  ENGLAND  TOBACCO.  77 

used  solely  for  smoking.  About  1835  the  plant  received 
more  attention  from  tlie  farmers  living  in  the  Connecticut 
valley  containing  some  of  the  finest  tobacco  land  in  the  coun- 
try. They  found  by  repeated  trials  that  the  soil  was  well 
adapted  to  the  production  of  a  liner  leaf  tobacco  than  any 
they  had  ever  seen.  At  this  time  Kentucky  and  Havana 
tobacco  were  used  in  the  manufacture  of  cigars,  but  on  testing 
American  tobacco  or  as  it  is  now  known  ''  Connecticut  seed 
leaf"  it  was  found  to  make  the  finest  wrappers  yet  produced, 
and  consequently  the  best  looking  cigars.  From  that  time 
its  reputation  has  kept  pace  with  its  cultivation,  until  it  now 
enjoys  a  world  wide  popularity.  As  a  wrapping  tobacco  it 
towers  far  above  the  seed  products  of  other  states  and  can 
never  have  a  successful  competitor  in  the  other  varieties  now 
cultivated  in  the  Middle  and  Western  States.  Doubtless 
America  furnishes  the  finest  varieties  of  tlie  plant  now  culti- 
vated, suited  for  all  kinds  of  manufacturing,  and  adapted  to 
all  the  various  forms  in  which  it  is  used. 

The  great  diversity  of  soil  and  climate  renders  this  prob- 
able while  actual  experiments  and  improved  methods  of  cul- 
ture have  demonstrated  it  to  a  certainty.  Thousands  of 
hogsheads,  cases,  and  bales  are  annually  shipped  to  all  parts 
of  the  world  and  the  demand  for  American  tobacco  is  greater 
than  for  the  varieties  grown  in  the  Old  World.  More  than 
two  hundred  and  fifty  years  have  passed  since  the  London 
and  Plymouth  Companies  began  its  cultivation  in  the  Old 
\  Dominion,  and  on  the  same  soil  where  the  red  man  grew  his 
"uppowac."  Virginia  leaf  still  continues  to  flourish,  and 
to-day  it  is  the  great  agricultural  product  of  the  State. 

From  a  small  beginning,  like  the  plant  itself  it  has 
developed  into  a  great  and  increasing  industry  and  its  culture 
become  a  source  of  wealth  unprecedented  in  agricultural 
history.  Could  the  sapient  James  I.  and  his  successors  the 
Stuarts,  now  look  upon  this  cherished  production  of  the 
world,  they  would  discover  a  commercial  prosperity  connected 
with  those  nations  which  have  fostered  and  encouraired  its 
growth  far  in  advance  of  those  who  have  frowned  upon  the 


78 


COMMERCIAL  VALUE  OF  TOBACCO. 


plant  and  proliibited  or  hindered  its  cultivation.  Saint 
Pierre  alluding  to  the  beneficence  of  nature  and  of  the  follj^ 
and  cruelty  of  man  as  contrasted  says : 

"When  the  princes  of  Europe  went  Gospel  in  hand,  to 


SHIPPING    TOBACCO. 


lay  waste  Asia,  they  brought- back  the  plague,  the  leprosj 
and  the  small-pox,  but  nature  showed  to  a  Dervieh  the  coffee 
tree  in  the  mountains  of  Yemen,  and  at  the  moment  when 
nature  brought  curses  on  us  through  the  Ci'usaders,  it 
brought  delights  to  us  through  tbe  cup  of  a  Mohammedan 
Monk.  The  descendants  of  those  princes  took  possession  of 
America,  and  transmitted  to  ns  by  this  conquest,  an  inex- 
haustible succession  of  wars  and  maladies.  "While  they 
were  exterminating  the  inhabitants  of  America  with  cannon, 
&  Carib  invited  sailors  to  smoke  his  Calumet  as  a  signal  of 
peace.  The  perfume  of  the  tobacco  vanquished  their  torments 
and  their  troubles,  and  the  use  of  tobacco  was  spread  all  over 
the  earth.  While  the  afflictions  of  the  two  worlds  came 
from  artillery,  which  kings  call  their  last  resort,  the  consola- 
tions of  civilized  nations  flowed  from  the  pipe  of  a  savage." 
It  seems  hardly  possible  to  draw  a  more  graphic  picture  of 
the  blessings  diffused  by  the  balmy  plant,  than  that  just  given. 
Its  peculiar  charms  and  soothing  influence  are  well  calculated 


TOBACCO  A  BLESSING.  79 

to  inspire  in  the  breast  of  man,  feelings  of  peace  and  happi- 
ness, rather  than  elements  of  discord  and  strife.  The  pipe 
of  a  king  burns  not  more  freely  the  shreds  of  the  plant,  than, 
it  does  the  last  remnant  of  hostile  feelings  and  the  recollec- 
tions of  bitter  wrongs ;  while  the  snuff-box  of  the  diplomat 
contains  the  precious  dust  that  has  soothed  the  fierce  hatred  of 
rival  houses  and  cemented  the  divided  factions  of  a  tottering 
throne. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

TOBACCO    m   EUROPE. 

HE  discovery  of  the  tobacco  plant  in  America  by 
European  voyagers  aroused  their  cupidity  no  less 
than  their  curiosity.  They  saw  in  its  use  by  the 
Indians  a  custom  which,  if  engrafted  upon  the  civil- 
ization of  the  Old  World,  would  prove  a  source  of  revenue 
commensurate  with  their  wildest  visions  of  power  and  wealth. 
This  was  particularly  the  case  with  the  Spanish  and  Portu- 
guese conquerors,  whose  thirst  for  gold  was  gratified  by  its 
discovery.  The  finding  by  the  Spaniards  of  gold,  silver,  and 
the  balmy  plant,  and  by  the  Portuguese  of  valuable  and 
glittering  gems,  opened  up  to  Spain  and  Portugal  three 
great  sources  of  wealth  and  power.  But  while  the  Spaniards 
were  the  first  discoverers  of  the  plant  there  seems  to  be  con- 
flicting opinions  as  to  which  nation  first  began  its  culture,  and 
whether  the  plant  was  cultivated  first  in  the  Old  "World  or 
in  the  New.     Humboldt  says : — 

"  It  was  neither  from  Virginia  nor  from  South  America, 
but  from  the  Mexican  province  of  Yucatan  that  Europe 
received  the  first  tobacco  seeds  about  the  year  1559.*  The 
Spaniards  became  acquainted  with  tobacco  in  the  West  India 
Islands  at  the  end  of  the  15th  Century,  and  the  cultivation 
of  Tobacco  preceded  the  cultivation  of  the  potato  in  Europe 
more  than  one  hundred  and  twenty  years.  When  Sir  Walter 
Raleigh  brought  tobacco  from  Virginia  to  England  in  1586, 

•Musspy  In  his  Essay  on  Tobacco  records  "  That  Cortez  sent  a  Bpeclmen  of  the  plant  to  the 
king  of  Spain  in  1519.  Yucatan  was  diacoyered  by  Hernandez  Cordova  la  1517,  and  in  1519  was 
first  settled. 


INTRODUCTION,  81 

whole  fields  of  it  were  already  cultivated  in  Portugal.*  It 
was  also  previously  known  in  France." 

Another  author  says  of  its  introduction  into  Europe : — 

"  The  seeds  of  the  tobacco  plant  were  first  brought  to 
Europe  by  Gonzalo  Hernandez  de  Oviedo,  who  introduced 
it  into  Spain,  where  it  was  first  cultivated  as  an  oruaraental 
plant,  till  Monardesf  extolled  it  as  possessed  of  medicinal 
virtues.":}: 

Murray  says  of  the  first  cultivation  of  tobacco  and  potatoes 
in  the  Old  World  :— 

"Amidst  the  numerous  remarkable  productions  ushered 
into  the  Old  Continent  from  the  New  World,  there  are  two 
which  stand  pre-eminently  conspicuous  from  their  general 
adoption.  Unlike  in  their  nature,  both  have  been  received 
as  extensive  blessings — the  one  by  its  nutritive  powers  tends 
to  support,  the  other  by  its  narcotic  virtues  to  soothe  and 
comfort  the  human  frame — the  potato  and  tobacco ;  but  very 
difierent  was  the  favor  with  which  these  plants  were  viewed. 
The  one  long  rejected,  by  the  slow  operation  of  time,  and, 
perhaps,  of  necessity,  was  at  length  cherished,  and  has  become 
the  support  of  millions,  but  nearly  one  hundred  and  twenty 
years  passed  away  before  even  a  trial  of  its  merits  was 
attempted ;  whereas,  the  tobacco  from  Yucatan,  in  less  than 
seventy  years  after  the  discovery,  appears  to  have  been  exten- 
sively cultivated  in  Portugal,  and  is,  perhaps,  the  most  gen- 
erally adopted  supei-fluous  vegetable  product  known ;  for 
sugar  and  opium  are  not  in  such  common  use.  The  potato 
by  the  starch  satisfies  the  hunger  ;  the  tobacco  by  its  morphia 
calms  its  turbulence  of  the  mind.  The  former  becomes  a 
necessity  required,  the  latter  a  gratification  sought  for." 

It  would  appear  then  that  the  year  1559  was  about  the 
period  of  the  introduction  of  tobacco  into  Europe.  Phillip 
II.  of  Spain  sent  Oviedo  to  visit  Mexico  and  note  its  produc- 
tions and  resources ;  returning  he  presented  "  His  Most 
Catholic  Majesty  "  with  the  seeds  of  the  plant.  In  the  fol- 
lowing year  it  was  introduced  into  France  and  Italy.  It  was 
first  brought  to  France  by  Jean  Nicot  of  Nismes  in  Langue- 
doc,  who  was   sent   as   ambassador   to    Sebastian,  King  of 

•Spala  began  Its  culture  In  Mexico  on  the  coast  of  Caraccas  at  the  Islands  of  St.  Domingo 
and  TrinidaJ,  and  particularly  in  Louisiana. 

tPourchat  declares  that  the  Portuguese  brought  It  into  Europe  from  Tobago,  an  island  In 
the  West  Indies  ;  but  this  is  hardly  probable,  as  the  Island  was  never  under  the  PortugneBe 
dominion. 

tMoaardes  wrote  upon  it  only  from  the  small  account  he  had  of  it  from  the  BrazilianB." 

6 


52  THE  ORIGINAL  IMPORTER. 

Portugal,  and  who  obtained  while  at  Lisbon  some  tobacco 
seed  from  a  Dutch  merchant  who  had  brought  it  from  Florida.* 
Nicot  returned  to  France  in  1561,  and  presented  the  Queen, 
Catherine  de  Medicis,  with  a  few  leaves  of  the  plant.f 

As  the  history  of  Nicot  is  so  intimately  connected  with 
that  of  the  plant,  a  short  sketch  of  this  original  importer  will 
doubtless  be  interesting  to  all  lovers  of  the  weed : — 

"John  Nicot,  Sieur  de  Yillemain,  was  born  at  Nismes  in 
1530,  and  died  at  Paris  in  1600.  He  was  the  son  of  a  notary 
at  Nismes,  and  started  in  life  with  a  good  education,  but 
with  no  fortune.  Finding  that  his  native  town  offered  no 
suitable  or  sufficient  field  for  his  energies,  he  went  to  Paris 
and  strove  hard  to  extend  his  studies  as  a  scholar  and  his 
connections  as  an  adventurer.  He  made  the  acquaintance  of 
some  courtiers,  who  felt  or  affected  an  interest  in  learning 
and  in  learned  men.  His  manners  were  insinuating;  his 
character  was  pliable.  When  presented  at  court  he  succeeded 
in  gaining  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  Henry  II.,  the  hus- 
band of  Catherine  de  Medicis.  Francis  II.,  the  son  of  Henry 
II.,  and  the  first  husband  of  Mary  Stuart,  continued  to  Kicot 
the  favor  of  which  Henry  II.  had  deemed  hini  worthy,  and 
sent  him  in  1560  as  ambassador  to  Sebastian,  King  of  Portu- 
gal. He  was  successful  in  his  mission.  But  it  was  neither 
his  talents  as  a  diplomatist,  nor  his  remarkable  mind,  nor  liis 
solid  erudition,  which  made  Nicot  immortal.  It_  was  by 
popularizing  tobacco  in  France  that  lie  gained  a  lasting  fame. 

"It  is  said  that  it  was  at  Lisbon  that  Nicot  became 
acquainted  with  the  extraordinary  properties  of  tobacco. 
But  it  is  likewise  stated  with  quite  as  much  confidence,  that 
a  Flemish  merchant,  who  had  just  returned  from  America, 
offered  Nicot  at  Bordeaux,  wllcre  they  met,  some  seeds  of 
the  tobacco,  telling  him  of  their  value.  The  seeds  Nicot 
sent  to  Catherine  de  Medicis,  and  on  arriving  in  Paris  he 
gave  her  some  leaves  of  tobacco.  Hence,  when  tobacco  began 
to  creep  into  use  in  France  it  wjis  called  Queen's  Herb  or 
Medicean  Herb.:}:  The  cultivation  of  tobacco,  except  as  a 
fancy  plant,  did  not  begin  in  France  till  1626 ;   and  John 

*PaiklnPon  in  his  Horball  [London,  16401  cnys:—" It  is  thonpht  by  POine  that  John  Nicot, 
thi8Fvunchinan,l)iii)Kaguiit  in  Poitu^'ull  loi-  Uio  French  Kinc  ftnt  this  e<'it  of  tobacco 
[Brazillan.lnotaiivothc-rtothP  J- rcr  ch  Qn.cnc.  unil  ii  called  thnctor.-  lierba  I.eslna.  and 
from  Kicotiana,  wliicU  is  probably  because  the  Porlugalls  and  not  the  Spuniaras  were  uiaa- 
ters  of  I5razi!c'!it  that  time."  _         .    -r-,   ^■^    r^  th^.i,„. 

+'•  Sir  .lull  II  Nicot  mnt  ecnne  seeds  of  it  Into  France,  to  Kin-'  Francis  II.,  the  Que  n  Mother, 
and  Lord  Jarnac,  Governur  of  Kochcl,  an,l  si^v.ral  others  <'f  the  French  Lords. 

tThe  Alibe. Jacques  Gohory,  till' author  <.f  the  llr.-t  booli  Avritten  on  tobacap,  pi  oposed  to 
call  it  Catherinaiiie  or  Meiiiiec.  to  record  the  name  of  M.  dicls  and  the  medicinal  yirtncs  ot 
the  plant ;  l>ut  tlie  mime  of  Nicot  supersedtd  thcbe,  aud  botanlsls  bave  perpetuatcu  it  lu  ino 
genus  Mcotiana."—Le  Mauut  and  Decaisiie. 


A  QUAINT  DESCRIPTION.  83 

Nicot  could  have  had  no  presentiment  of  the  agricultural, 
commercial,  financial  and  social  importance  which  tobacco 
was  ultimately  to  assume.  Nicot  published  two  works. 
The  first  was  an  edition  of  the  History  of  France  or  of  the 
Franks,  in  Latin,  written  by  a  Monk  called  Aimonious,  who 
lived  in  the  tenth  century.  The  second  was  a  '  Treasury  of 
the  French  Language,  Ancient  and  Modern.'  " 

Stevens  and  Liebault  in  the  "  Country  Farm  "  *  give  the 
following  account  of  its  early  introduction  into  France  and 
the  wonderful  cures  produced  by  its  use : 

"  Nicotiana  though  it  have  (lias)  beene  but  a  while  knowne 
in  France  yet  it  holdeth  the  tii'st  and  principal!  place  amongst 
Physicke  herbs,  by  reason  of  his  singular  and  almost  diuine 
(divine)  vertues,  such  as  you  shall  heare  of  hereafter,  whereof 
(because  none  either  of  the  old  or  new  writers  that  have 
written  of  the  nature  of  plants,  have  said  anything),  I  am 
willing  to  lay  open  the  whole  history,  as  I  have  come  by  it 
through  a  deere  friend  of  mine,  the  first  autiior,  inventor, 
and  bringer  of  this  herb  into  France :  as  also  of  many  both 
Spaniards,  Portugals,  and  others  which  have  travelled  into 
Florida,  a  country  of  the  Indians,  from  whence  this  herbe 
came,  to  put  the  same  in  writing  to  relieve  such  griefe  and 
travell,  as  have  heard  of  this  herbe,  but  neither  know  it  nor 
the  properties  thereof .  This  herbe  is  called  Nicotiana  of  the 
name  of  an  ambassador  which  brought  the  first  knowledge 
of  it  into  this  realme,  in  like  manner  as  many  plants  do  as 
yet  retaine  the  names  of  certaine  Greekes  and  Romans,  who 
being  strangers  in  div^ers  countries,  for  their  common-wealth's 
service,  have  from  thence  indowed  their  own  countree  with 
many  plants,  whereof  there  was  no  knowledge  before.  Some 
call  it  the  herbe  of  Queen  mother,  because  the  said  ambassa- 
dor Lord  Nicot  did  first  send  the  same  unto  the  Queen 
mother,  f  (as  you  shall  understand  by  and  by)  and  for  being 
afterwards  by  her  given  to  divers  others  to  plant  and  make 
to  grow  in  this  country.  Others  call  it  by  the  name  of  the 
herbe  of  the  great  Prior,  because  the  said  Lord  a  while  after 
sailing  into  these  western  seas,  and  happening  to  lodge  neere 
unto  the  said  Lord  ambassador  of  Lisbone,  gathered  divers 
plants  thereof  out  of  his  garden,  and  set  them  to  increase 
here  in  France,  and   there  in  greater  quantitie,  and   with 

•London  1606. 

t  George  Ruchanan,  the  Scotcli  Philof  ophcr  and  port  t-tor  of  Jamofl  I.,  had  a  strong  nvcr- 
Bioii  to  Catherine  of  Metlicis,  and  In  one  of  hia  Latin  cplRrams,  nllndca  lo  the  licrh  Ix'iiig 
called  J/erfi'ci'c  adviBing  all  who  valued  their  health  to  slinn  it,  noi  co  ninch  from  its  helug 
naturally  hurtful,  but  that  It  needs  must  become  poisonous  if  called  by  so  hateful  a  name. 


84  WONDERFUL  CURES. 

more  care  than  any  other  besides  him,  he  did  so  highly 
esteeme  thereof  for  the  exceeding  good  qualities  sake. 

"  The  Spaniards  call  it  Tobaco,  it  were  better  to  call  it 
Nicotian  a,  after  the  name  of  the  Lord  who  first  sent  it  into 
France,  to  the  end  that  we  may  give  him  the  honor  which  he 
hath  deserved  of  us,  for  having  furnished  our  land  with  so 
rare  and  singular  an  herbe :  and  thus  much  for  the  name, 
now  listen  unto  the  whole  historie  :  Master  John  Nicot,  one 
of  the  king's  counsell,  being  ambassador  for  his  Maiestie 
(Majesty)  in  the  realme  of  Portiugall,  in  the  yeere  of  our 
Lord  God,  1559.  60.  and  61.  went  on  a  day  to  see  the 
monuments  and  northie  places  of  the  said  king  of  Portiugall : 
at  which  time  a  gentleman  keeper  of  the  said  monuments 
presented  him  with  this  herbe  as  a  strange  plant  brought 
from  Florida.  The  nobleman  Sir  Nicot  having  procured  it 
to  growe  in  his  garden,  where  it  had  put  forth  and  multiplied 
very  greatly,  was  aduertifed  (notified)  on  a  dale  by  one  of 
his  pages,  that  a  yoong  boie  kinsman  of  the  said  page,  had 
laide  (for  triall  sake)  the  said  herbe,  pressed,  the  substance 
and  juice  and  altogether,  upon  an  ulcer  which  he  had  upon 
his  cheeke,  neere  unto  his  nose,  next  neighbor  to  a  Woli  me 
tangere,  (a  cancer)  as  having  already  seazed  upon  the  cartil- 
ages, and  that  by  the  use  thereof  it  was  become  marvellous 
well :  upon  this  occasion  the  nobleman  Nicot  called  the  boie 
to  him,  and  making  him  to  continue  the  applying  of  this 
herbe  for  eight  or  ten  days,  the  Woli  me  tangere  became 
thoroughly  kild :  nowe  they  had  sent  oftetimes  unto  one  of 
the  king's  most  famous  phisitions,  the  said  boie  during  the 
time  of  this  worke  and  operation  to  make  and  see  the  pro- 
ceeding and  working  of  the  said  Nicotiana,  and  having  in 
charge  to  do  the  same  until  the  end  of  ten  days,  the  said 
phisition  then  beholding  him,  assured  him  that  the  Noli  me 
tangere  was  dead,  as  indeed  the  boie  never  felt  anything  of 
it  at  any  time  afterward. 

"  Some  certain  time  after,  one  of  the  cooks  of  the  said 
ambassador  having  almost  all  his  thombe  (thumb)  cut  off 
from  his  hand,  with  a  great  kitchin  knife,  the  steward 
running  unto  the  said  Nicotiana,  made  to  him  use  of  it  five  or 
six  dressings,  by  the  ende  of  which  the  wounde  was  healed. 
From  this  time  forward  this  herbe  began  to  become  famous 
in  Lisbon,  where  the  king  of  Portingal's  court  was  at  that 
time,  and  the  vertues  thereof  much  spoken  of,  and  the 
common  people  began  to  call  it  the  ambassador's  herbe. 
Now  upon  this  occasion  there   came  certain   days  after,   a 


THE  "  HERBE  GREWE  IN  REPUTATION."  85 

gentleman  from  the  fields  being  father  unto  one  of  the  pages 
of  the  said  Lord  ambassador,  who  was  troubled  with  an  ulcer 
in  his  legge  of  two  years  continuance,  and  craved  of  the  said 
Lord  some  of  his  herbe,  and  using  it  in  manner  afore  men- 
tioned, he  was  healed  by  the  end  of  ten  or  twelve  dales. 
After  this  yet  the  herbe  grewe  still  in  greater  reputation, 
inasmuch  as  that  many  hasted  out  of  all  corners  to  get  some 
of  this  herbe.  And  among  the  rest,  there  was  one  woman 
which  had  a  great  ring  worme,  covering  all  her  face  like  a 
mask,  and  having  taken  deepe  roote,  to  whom  the  said  Lord 
caused  this  Petum  to  be  given,  and  withall  the  manner  of 
using  it  to  be  told  her,  and  at  the  end  of  eight  or  ten  dales, 
this  woman  being  thoroughly  cured,  came  to  shewe  herself 
unto  the  said  Lord,  and  how  that  she  was  cured.  There 
came  likewise  a  captain  bringing  with  him  his  son  diseased 
with  the  king's  evill,  unto  the  said  Lord  Ambassador,  for  to 
send  him  into  France,  upon  whom  there  was  some  triall 
made  of  the  said  herbe,  whereupon  within  four  dales  he 
began  to  show  great  signs  and  tokens  of  healing,  and  in  the 
end  was  thoroughly  cured  of  his  king's  evil." 

Italy  received  the  first  plant  from  Santa  Croce,*  who,  like 
Nicot,  obtained  the  seed  in  Lisbon.  In  1575  first  appeared  a 
figure  of  the  plant  in  Andre  Theret's  "  Cosmographie," 
which  was  but  an  imperfect  representation  of  the  plant.  It 
was  supposed  by  many  on  its  discovery  to  grow  like  the 
engraving  given — in  form  resembling  a  tree  or  shrub  rather 
than  an  herb.  Tobacco  was  first  brought  to  England  by  Sir 
John  Hawkins,  who  obtained  the  plant  in  Florida  in  1565, 
and  afterwards  by  Sir  Francis  Drake.f  The  first  planters  of 
it  in  England  were  said  to  be  Captain  Grenfield  and  Sir 
Francis  Drake.  One  account  of  its  introduction  into  Eng- 
land is  as  follows : 

"The  plant  was  first  used  by  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  and 
others,  who  had  acquired  a  taste  for  it  in  Virginia.:]:    Among 

'TliePted  Bnll  Inn,  at  Islington,  was  the  first  hotise  inEnRlandwhere  tobacco  was  smoked, 
while  Moll  Cut-Purse,  a  noted  pickpocket  who  nourished  In  the  time  of  Charles  11.,  Is  said 
to  have  been  the  first  Englishwoman  who  sniokeil  tobacco. 

rit  was  introduced,  about  1520.  into  Portugal  and  Spain  by  Doctor  Hernandez  of  Toledo: 
into  Italy  by  Thornabon  ahd  tlie  Cardinal  de  SainleCroif,  into  Encland  by  Captain  Drake' 
and  Into  France  by  Andre  Theret,  a  gray  friar."— Le  Mao  ut  and  Decaisne  a  General  System 
cf  Bolany  f Paris  isesi. 

tShortsaysof  Its  introduction  into  England:  "Sir  Walter  Raleigh's  Marriners, under  Mr. 
Kal|)h  Lane,  his  Agent  in  Virginia  first  hroughtthis  Commodity  into  England  Anno  1584 ;  and 
that  famous  Proprietor  of  this  Plantation  foresaw  good  reasons  to  introduce  tlie  use  of  it, 
however  King  .James  might  afterwards,  through  his  own  personal  Distaste  both  of  it  and, 
Dim,  wrote  hh  Counterblast  against  it;  a  work  surely  consistent  with  the  Pen  of  no  Prince, 
but  one  of  hU  Politicks." 


86 


DIFFERENCE  OF  OPINIONS. 


the  natives  the  usual  mode  employed  in  smoking  the  plant 
was  by  means  of  hollow  canes,  and  pipes  made  of  wood  and 

decorated  with  copper 
and  green  stones.  To 
deprive  it  of  its  acidity, 
some  of  the  natives 
were  wont  to  pass  the 
smoke  through  bulbs 
containing  water,  in 
which  aromatic  and  me- 
dicinal herbs  had  been 
infused." 

Neander  ascribes  this 
invention  to  the  Per- 
sians; butMagnenus 
rather  attributes  it  to  the 
Dutch  and  English,  to 
the  latter  of  whom  at- 
taches the  credit  of 
having  invented  the  clay 
pipes  of  modern  times. 
Some  writers  have  con- 
cluded that  the  plant 
served  as  a  narcotic  in 
some  parts  of  Asia. 
Liebaut  thinks  it  was 
known  in  Europe* 
many  years  before  the 
discovery  of  the  New  World,  and  asserts  that  the  plant 
had  been  found  in  the  Ardennes.  Magnenus,  however, 
claims  its  origin  as  transatlantic  and  affirms  as  his  belief  that 
the  winds  had  doubtless  carried  the  seeds  from  one  continent 
to  the  other.  Pallos  says  that  among  the  Chinese,  and 
among  the  Mongol  tribes  who  had  the  most  intercourse  with 
them,  the  custom  of  smoking  is  so  general,  so  frequent,  and 
has  become  so  indispensable  a  luxury ;  the  tobacco  purse 
affixed  to  their  belt  so  necessary  an  article  of  dress ;  the  form 
of  the  pipes,  from  which  the  Dutch  seem  to  have  taken  the 


OLD   ENGRAVING    OF   TOBACCO. 


♦James  the  First  also' Inclines  to  this  belief,  declaring  tobacco  to  be  "a  common  herb 
which  (though  under  divers  names)  grows  almost  everywhere." 


A  SMOKER'S  RHAPSODT.  87 

model  of  theirs,  so  original ;  and,  finally,  the  preparation  of 
the  leaves  so  peculiar,  that  they  could  not  possibly  derive  all 
this  from  America  hy  way  of  Europe,  especially  as  India, 
where  the  practice  of  smoking  is  not  so  general,  intervenes 
between  Persia  and  China.  Meyen  also  states  that  the  con- 
sumption of  tobacco  in  the  Chinese  empire  is  of  immense 
extent,  and  the  practice  seems  to  be  of  great  antiquity,  "for 
on  very  old  sculptures  I  have  observed  the  very  same  tobacco 
pipes  which  are  still  used."  Besides,  we  now  know  that  the 
plant  which  furnishes  the  Chinese  tobacco  is  even  said  to 
grow  wild  in  the  East  Indies. 

"Tobacco,"  says  Loudon,  "was  introduced  into  the  county 
of  Cork,  with  the  potatoe,  by  Sir  Walter  Raleigh."  A 
quaint  writer  of  this  period  says  of  the  plant:  "Tobacco, 
that  excellent  plant,  the  use  whereof  (as  of  fifth  element)  the 
world  cannot  want,  is  that  little  shop  of  Nature,  wherein  her 
whole  workmanship  is  abridged ;  w4iere  you  may  see  earth 
kindled  into  fire,  the  fire  breathe  out  an  exhalation,  which 
enteriirg  in  at  the  mouth  walks  through  the  regions  of  a 
man's  brain,  drives  out  all  ill  vapors  but  itself,  draws  down 
all  bad  humors  by  the  mouth,  which  in  time  might  breed  a 
scab  over  the  whole  body,  if  already  they  have  not;  a  plant 
of  singular  use ;  for,  on  the  one  side  Nature  being  an  enemy 
to  vacuity  and  emptiness  and  on  the  other,  there  being  so 
many  empty  brains  in  the  world  as  there  are,  how  shall 
Nature's  course  be  continued  ?  How  shall  those  empty 
brains  be  filled  but  with  air,  Nature's  immediate  instrument 
to  that  purpose  ?  If  with  air,  what  so  proper  as  your  fume ; 
what  fume  so  healthful  as  your  perfume,  what  perfume  so 
sovereign  as  tobacco.  Besides  the  excellent  edge  it  gives  a 
man's  wit,  as  they  but  judge  that  have  been  present  at  a 
feast  of  tobacco,  where  commonly  all  good  wits  are  consoled ; 
what  variety  of  discourse  it  begets,  what  sparks  of  wit  it 
yields?"* 

The  name  of  Sir  Walter  is  intimately  connected  with  the 
history  of  tobacco,  and  is  associated  with  many  of  the  bril- 
liant exploits  and  explorations  during  the  reign  of  the 
illustrious  Elizabeth.f     His  name  has  come  down  to  us  as 

•A  writer  In  the  "New  England  Magazine"  8(iy8  In  a  different  strain  :  "This  Is  the  enemy  that 
men  put  In  their  mouths,  to  bteal  away  llieir  health.  This  hab  Jllcd  the  camp,  the  court,  tha 
grovi'.    It  l9  found  In  tlie  pulpit,  thi-  senate,  the  bur  and  tlie  boudoir." 

tTliorpe,  In  his  "History  and  Mystery  of  Tobacco,"  relates  the  following  anecdote:  "Tra- 
Sltloii  s;iyH,  th:it  In  tlie  time  of  Queen  Elizabeth  Sir  Walter  Ualelgh  used  to  sit  at  his  door 
With  fair  Hugh  Mlddlelou  and  smoke." 


88  OLD  SMOKERS. 

being  that  of  the  first  smoker  of  tobacco  in  England,*  and 
many  amusing  anecdotes  are  told  of  him  and  the  new  cus- 
tom which  he  introduced  and  sanctioned.  Dixon  has  given 
us  the  following  vivid  picture  of  the  great  Elizabethan 
navigator : 

"  In  a  pleasant  room  of  Durham  House,  in  the  Strand, — a 
room  overhanging  a  lovely  garden,  with  the  river,  the  old 
bridge,  the  towers  of  Lambeth  Palace,  and  the  flags  of  Paris 
Garden  and  the  Globe  in  view, — three  men  may  have  often 
met  and  smoked  a  pipe  in  the  days  of  Good  Queen  Bess,  who 
are  dear  to  all  readers  of  English  blood ;  because,  in  the  first 
place,  they  were  the  highest  types  of  our  race  in  genius  and 
in  daring;  in  the  second  place  because  the  work  of  their 
hands  has  shaped  the  whole  after-life  of  their  countrymen  in 
every  sphere  of  enterprise  and  thought.  That  splendid  Dur- 
ham House,  in  which  the  nine-days  queen  had  been  married 
to  Guilford  Dudley,  and  which  had  afterwards  been  the 
town-house  of  Elizabeth,  belonged  to  Sir  "Walter  Raleigh,  by 
whom  it  was  held  on  leave  from  the  queen.  Ealeigh,  a 
friend  of  William  Shakespeare  and  the  players,  was  also  a 
friend  of  Francis  Bacon  and  the  philosophers.  Raleigh  is 
said  to  have  founded  the  Mermaid  Club ;  and  it  is  certain 
that  he  numbered  friends  among  the  poets  and  players.  The 
proofs  of  his  having  known  Shakespeare,  though  indirect,  are 
strong.  Of  his  long  intercourse  with  Bacon  every  one  is 
aware.  Thus  it  requires  no  effort  of  the  fancy  to  picture 
these  three  men  as  lounging  in  a  window  of  Durham  House, 
pufiing  the  new  Indian  weed  from  silver  bowls,  discussing 
the  highest  themes  in  poetry  and  science,  while  gazing  on 
the  flower-beds  and  the  river,  the  darting  barges  of  dames 
and  cavalier,  and  the  distant  pavilions  of  Paris  Garden  and 
the  Globe." 

Its  use  by  so  distinguished  a  person  as  Raleigh  was  equiv- 
alent to  its  general  introduction. f     Aubrey  says: 

"  He  was  the  first  that  brought  tobacco  into  England,  and 
into  fashion.     In  our  part — Malmsbury  Hundred — it  came 

•Dr.  Thomas  Short,  in  his  work  "Discourses  on  Tea,  Tobacco,  Punch,  &c.,''  (London  1750.) 
says  of  the  original  smoker :  "  Sir  Walter  was  the  first  that  brought  the  Custom  of  smoking 
It  into  Britain,  upon  his  return  from  America ;  for  he  saw  the  natives  of  Florida,  Brazil  and 
other  places  of  the  Indies,  smoak  it  thus,  they  hung  about  their  Necks  little  Pipes  or  Horna 
made  of  the  Leaves  of  the  Date  Tree,  or  of  lieedsor  Rushes  ;  and  at  the  ends  ol  them  tney 
putseveraldry  Tobacco  Leaves  twisted  and  broken,  and  set  the  ends  of  them  on  lire,  ana 
BUcked  in  as  much  of  the  smoak  as  they  could." 

tSo  common  was  the  indulgence  that  in  1600,  only  seventeen  years  after  Sir  Francis  Drake 
returned  from  America,  and  set  the  example  of  using  tobacco,  the  French  Kmbaesaaor 
writes  in  his  dispatches  to  Paris,  that  the  peers,  while  engaged  in  the  trials  Oi  lissex  anQ 
Southampton,  deliberated  upon  their  verdicts  with  pipes  iu  their  mouths; 


THE  "  QUEENS  HERB. 


89 


first  into  fashion  by  Sir  Walter  Long.     They  had  first  silver 
pipes.     The  ordinary  sort  made  use  of  a  walnut  shell  and  a 


SIR    WALTER    RALEIGH. 

strawe.  I  have  heard  my  grandfather  Lyte  say  that  one  pipe 
was  handed  from  man  to  man  round  the  table.  Sir  Walter 
Ealeigh  standing  in  a  stand  at  Sir  Ro.  Poyntz  parke  at 
Acton  tooke  a  pipe  of  tobacco,  which  made  the  ladies  quitte 
it  till  he  had  donne." 

A  writer  has  truthfully  said  in  regard  to  associating  the 
name  and  use  of  the  plant  with  the  primitive  users  of  it. 

"The  ambitious  sought  fame  by  associating  themselves 
wiih  the  introduction  of  the  plant  and  its  cultivation ;  hence 
we  find  it  named  after  cardinals,  legates,  and  embassadors, 
wliile  in  compliment  to  Catherine,  wife  of  Henry  the  Second, 
it  was  called  the  Queen's  herb." 

Kings  now  rushed  into  the  tobacco  trade.  Those  of  Spain 
took  the  lead,  and  became  the  largest  manufacturers  of  snuff 


•Savary  says  that  tobacco  has  been  known  nmonff  the  Persians  for  upwards  of  400  years, 
aad  supposes  that  they  received  It  from  Egypt,  aud  not  from  the  East  Indies. 


90  DRINKING  TOBACCO. 

and  cigars  in  Christendom,  and  the  royal  workshops  of 
Seville  are  still  the  most  extensive  in  Europe.  Other  mon- 
archs  monopolized  the  business  in  their  dominions,  and  all 
began  to  reap  enormous  profits  ^i'rom  it,  as  most  do  at  this 
day.  In  the  year  1615  tobacco  was  first  planted  in  Holland ; 
and  in  Switzerland  in  1686.  As  soon  as  its  cultivation 
became  general  in  Spain  and  Portugal  the  tobacco  trade  was 
"  farmed  out,"  bringing  an  enormous  revenue  to  those  king- 
doms. About  the  beginning  of  the  Seventeenth  Century  the 
Portuguese  introduced  into  Hindostan  and  Persia*  two 
things,  pine-apples  and  tobacco.  To  the  pine-apples  no 
objection  seems  to  have  been  made ;  but  to  the  tobacco  the 
most  strenuous  resistance  was  ofiered  by  the  sovereigns  of 
the  two  countries.  Spite,  however,  of  pimishments  and  pro- 
hibitions the  use  of  tobacco  spread  with  the  rapidity  of 
lightning. 

In  England,  tobacco  taking  soon  became  a  favorite  custom 

not  only  with  the  loiterers  about  taverns  and  other  public 

places,  but  among  the  courtiers  of  Elizabeth.     Smoking  was 

called  drinking  tobacco,  as  the  fashionable  method  was  to 

"  put  it  through  the  nose  "  or  exhale  it  through  the  nostrils. 

At  this  period  tobacco  seemed  to  have  nearly  the  same  efiect 

as  it  did  upon  the  Indian,  producing  a  sort  of  intoxication ; 

thus  in   "  The  Perfuming   of   Tobacco "  (1611)  it  is  said : 

"  The  smoke  of  tobacco  drunke  or  drawen  by  a  pipe,  filleth 

J     the  membranes  of  the  braine,  and  astonisheth  and  filleth 

\    many  persons  with  such  joy  and  pleasure,  and  sweet  losse  of 

V  senses,  that  they  can  by  no  means  be  without  it." 

f\   The  term  "drinking  tobacco"  was  not  confined  to  Eng- 

■   land,  but  was  used  in  Holland,  France,  Spain  and  Portugal, 

as  the  same  method  of  blowing  the  smoke  through  the  nos- 

-  trils,  seemed  to  be  everywhere  in  vogue. 

The  use  of  tobacco  increased  very  rapidly  soon  after  its 
importation  from  Yirginia.  The  Spaniards  and  Portuguese 
had  hitherto  monopolized  the  trade,  so  that  it  brought 
enormous  prices,  some  kinds  selling  for  its  weight  in  silver. 
As  soon  as  its  culture  commenced  in  Yirginia  the  demand  for 
West  India  tobacco  lessened  and  Virginia  leaf  soon  came 


■ :  i.'r;'''i!.'ii^'ll'l|^ 


KNGLISH  GALLANTf 


THE  SIXTEENTH  CENTURY.  91 

into  favor,  owing  not  more  to  the  lowering  of  price  than  to 
the  quality  of  the  leaf.*  This  was  about  1620,  which  some 
writers  have  called  the  golden  age  of  tobacco.  It  had  now 
become  a  prime  favorite  and  was  used  by  nearly  all  classes. 
Poets  and  dramatists  sung  its  praises,  while  others  wrote  of 
its  wonderful  medicinal  qualities.-]-  Fops  and  knaves  alike 
indulged  in  its  use. 

"About  the  latter  end  of  the  sixteenth  century,  tobacco 
was  in  great  vogue  in  London,  with  wits  and  '  gallants,'  as 
the  dandies  of  that  age  were  called.  To  wear  a  pair  of  vel- 
vet breeches,  with  panes  or  slashes  of  silk,  an  enormous 
starched  ruff,  a  gilt  handled  sword,  and  a  Spanish  dagger ; 
to  play  at  cards  or  dice  in  the  chambers  of  the  groom-porter, 
and  smoke  tobacco  in  the  tilt-yard  or  at  the  play-house,  were 
then  the  grand  characteristics  of  a  man  of  fashion.  Tobac- 
conists' shops  were  then  common  ;  and  as  the  article,  which 
appears  to  have  been  sold  at  a  high  price,  was  indispensable 
to  the  gay  '  man  about  town,'  he  generally  endeavored  to 
keep  his  credit  good  with  his  tobacco-merchant.  Poets  and 
pamphleteers  laughed  at  the  custom,  though  generally  they 
seem  to  have  no  particular  aversion  to  an  occasional  treat  to 
a  sober  pipe  and  a  poute  of  sack.  Your  men  of  war,  who 
had  served  in  the  Low  Countries,  and  who  taught  young 
gallants  the  noble  art  of  fencing,  were  particularly  fond  of 
tobacco ;  and  your  gentlemen  adventurers,  who  had  served 
in  a  buccaneering  expedition  against  the  Spaniards,  were  no 
less  partial  to  it.  Sailors — from  the  captain  to  the  ship-boy 
— all  affected  to  smoke,  as  if  the  practice  was  necessary  to 
their  character ;  and  to  '  take  tobacco '  and  wear  a  silver 
whistle,  like  a  modern  boatswain's  mate,  was  the  pride  of  a 
man-of-war's  man. 

"  Ben  Jonson,  of  all  our  early  dramatic  writers,  most 
frequently  alludes  to  the  practice  of  smoking.  In  his  play 
of  '  Every  Man  in  his  Humour,'  first  acted  in  1598,  Captain 
Bobadil  thus  extols  in  his  own  peculiar  vein  the  virtues  of 
tobacco ;  while  Cob,  the  water  carrier,  with  about  equal 
truth,  relates  some  startling  instances  of  its  pernicious  effects. 

•Neander,  In  his  work  on  "Tobacologia"  (London,  l(r42),  mentions  eighteen  Tarletles  of 
tobacco,  or  at  least  localities  from  where  It  was  shipped  lo  London,  among  which  arc  the 
following:  Variuus  (coiiRidi  red  the  bcBt).  ISrazil.  IMaracny.  Orinoco,  Margarita,  Caracas, 
Cumana,  Amazon,  Virginia,  Phillipines.  St. Lucia,  Trinidad,  and  St.  Domingo. 

t "  The  flrst  author  (says  an  Englisli  writer)  who  wrote  of  this  Plant  was  Charles  Stepha- 
nns,  In  15<>4  This  was  a  mean,  eliort.  inaccurate  Drunglit,  till  Dr.  John  Liel)anlt  wrote  a 
Whole  Dl«conr.'»e  of  it  next  year,  and  put  it  into  liis  second  Book  of  Husbandry,  which  was 
every  year  reprinted  with  adilitlons  and  alterations,  for  twenty  years  after.  He  had  a  large 
Correspondence,  a  good  IntelligcMce,  and  wrote  tlie  beat  of  the  age,  and  gathered  the  great- 
est stock  of  experience  about  tliis  new  riant." 


92  HUMOROUS  QUOTATIONS. 

" '  Bobadil.  Body  o'  me,  here's  the  remainder  of  seven 
pound  since  yesterday  was  seven-night !  'Tis  your  right 
Trinadado  !     Did  you  never  take  any,  Master  Stephen  ? 

"  '  Stephen.  No,  truly,  Sir  ;  but  I'll  learn  to  take  it  since 
you  commend  it  so. 

"  '  Bobadil.  Sir,  believe  me  upon  my  relation, — for  what 
I  tell  you  the  world  shall  not  reprove.  I  have  been  in  the 
Indies  where  this  herb  grows,  where  neither  myself,  nor 
a  dozen  gentlemen  more  of  my  knowledge,  have  received 
the  taste  of  any  other  nutriment  in  the  world,  for  the  space 
of  one  and  twenty  weeks,  but  the  fume  of  this  simple  only. 
Therefore,  it  cannot  be  but  'tis  most  divine.  Further,  take 
it,  in  the  true  kind,  so,  it  makes  an  antidote,  that  had  you 
taken  the  most  deadly  poisonous  plant  in  all  Italy,  it  should 
expel  it  and  clarify  you  with  as  much  ease  as  I  speak.  And 
for  your  greenwound,  your  balsamum,  and  your  St.  John's- 
wort,  are  all  mere  gulleries  and  trash  to  it,  especially  your 
Trinidado :  your  Nicotian  is  good  too.  I  could  say  what  I 
know  of  it  for  the  expulsion  of  rheums,  raw  humours, 
crudities,  obstructions,  with  a  thousand  of  this  kind,  but  I 
profess  myself  no  quack-salver :  only  thus  much,  by  Hercules ; 
I  do  hold  it,  and  will  aflSrm  it  before  any  prince  in  Europe, 
to  be  the  most  sovereign  and  precious  weed  that  ever  the 
earth  tendered  to  the  use  of  man.' 

Coh.  " '  By  gad's  me,  I  mar'l  what  pleasure  or  felicity  they 
have  in  taking  this  roguish  tobacco  !  It's  good  for  nothing 
but  to  choke  a  man  and  hll  him  full  of  smoke  and  embers. 
There  were  four  died  out  of  one  house  last  week  with  taking 
of  it,  and  two  more  the  bell  went  for  yesternight ;  one  of 
them,  they  say,  will  ne'er  'scape  it :  he  voided  a  bushel  of 
soot  yesterday,  upward  and  downward.  By  the  stocks !  an' 
there  were  no  wiser  men  than  I,  I'd  have  it  present  whipping, 
man  or  woman  that  should  but  deal  with  a  tobacco-pipe ; 
why,  it  will  stifle  them  all  in  the  end,  as  many  as  use  it;  it's 
little  better  than  rats-bane  or  rosaker.' "  * 

From  the  first  announcement  that  English  navigators  had 
discovered  tobacco  in  Yirginia,  until  the  London  and  Ply- 
mouth companies  sailed  for  the  New  World,  the  deepest 
interest  was  taken  in  the  voyagers.  Drayton,  the  poet,  wrote 
of  "The  Yirginian  Yoyage,"  while  Chapman  and  other 
dramatists  wrote  plays  in  which  allusions  were  made  to  Yir- 
ginia.   In  the  "  Mask  of  Flowers,"  performed  at  White  Hall 

*  A  preparation  of  arsenic. 


TOBACCO  ON  THE  STAGE.  93 

npon  Twelfth  Night,  1613-14,  one  of  tlie  characters  chal- 
lenges another,  and  asserts  that  wine  is  more  worthy  tlian 
tobacco.  The  costumes  were  exceedingly  grotesque  and 
BUffirestive  of  the  New  rather  than  of  the  Old  World.  Kawosha 
one  of  the  principal  characters  rode  in,  wearing  on  his  head 
a  cap  of  red-cloth  of  gold,  from  his  ears  were  pendants,  a 
glass  chain  was  about  his  neck,  his  body  and  legs  were 
covered  with  olive-colored  stuff,  in  his  hands  were  a  bow  and 
arrows,  and  the  bases  of  tobacco  -  colored  stuff  cut  like 
tobacco  leaves.  The  play  abounds  with  allusions  to  the 
"  Indian  weed." 

"  Silenus.—  Kawosha  comes  in  majestie, 
"Was  never  such  a  God  as  he ; 
He's  come  from  a  far  countrie 
To  make  our  nose  a  chimney. 

Kawosha. — The  wine  takes  the  contrary  way 
To  get  into  the  hood ; 
But  good  tobacco  makes  no  stay 
But  seizeth  where  it  should. 
More  incense  hath  burned  at 
Great  Kawoshae's  foote 
Than  to  Silen  and  Bacchus,  both, 
And  take  in  Jove  to  boote. 

SQenus. — The  worthies  they  were  nine  tis  true, 
And  lately  Arthur's  knights  I  knew ; 
But  now  are  come  up  Worthies  new, 
The  roaring  boys  Kawoshae's  crew. 

Kawosha. — Silenus  toppes  the  barrel,  but 
Tobacco  toppes  the  braine 
And  makes  the  vapors  fire  and  soote, 
That  mon  revise    againe. 
Nothing  but  fumigation 
Doth  charm  away  ill  sprites, 
Kawosha  and  his  nation 
Found  out  these  holy  rites." 

The  writers  of  this  period  abound  in  allusions  to  tobacco 
and  its  use.  The  poets  and  dramatists  found  in  it  a  fertile 
field  for  the  display  of  their  satire,  and  from  1600  to  1650 
Btage  plays  introduced  many  characters  as   either  tobacco 


94:  SHAKESPEARE  ON  TOBACCO. 

drinkers  or  sellers.  It  had  now  become  so  great  a  custom 
and  had  increased  so  fast  after  the  importation  of  Virginia 
tobacco  that  it  afforded  them  no  insignificant  theme  for  the 
display  of  their  genius.*  The  plays  of  Jonson,  Decker, 
Kowland,  Heywood,  Middleton,  Fields,  Fletcher,  Hutton, 
Lodge,  Sharpham,  Marston,  Lilly  (court  poet  to  Elizabeth), 
the  Duke  of  Newcastle  and  others  are  full  of  allusions  to 
the  plant  and  those  who  indulged  in  its  use.  Shakespeare,! 
however,  does  not  once  allude  to  its  use,  and  his  silence  on 
this  then  curious  custom  has  provoked  much  conjecture  and 
inquiry.  Some  affirm  that  he  wrote  to  please  royalty,  but  if 
so  why  did  he  not  condemn  the  custom  to  appease  the  wrath 
of  a  sapient  king.  Others  say  he  kept  silence  because  he 
was  the  friend  of  Kaleigh,  and  though  he  would  have  gladly 
held  up  the  great  smoker  and  his  favorite  indulgence,  feared 
to  add  to  the  popularity  of  the  custom  by  displeasing  his 
royal  master.  Another  class  affirm  that  as  the  stories  of  his 
plays  are  all  antecedent  to  his  own  time,  therefore  he  never 
mentions  either  the  drinking  of  tobacco,  or  the  tumultuous 
scenes  of  the  ordinary  which  belonged  to  it,  and  which  are 
so  constantly  met  with  in  his  contemporary  dramatists.  Says 
one : 

"  How  is  it  that  our  great  dramatist  never  once  makes 
even  the  slightest  allusion  to  smoking?  Who  can  suggest  a 
reason  ?  Our  great  poet  knew  the  human  heart  too  well,  and 
kept  too  steadily  in  view,  the  universal  nature  of  man  to  be 
afraid  of  painting  the  external  trapping  and  ephemeral 
customs  of  his  own  time.  Does  he  not  delight  to  moralize 
on  false  hair,  masks,  rapiers,  pomandens,  perfumes,  dice, 
bowls,  fardingales,  etc?  Did  he  not  sketch  for  us,  with 
enjoyment  and  with  satire,  too,  the  fantastic  fops,  the  pomp- 
ous stewards,  the  mischievous  pages,  the  quarrelsome  revellers, 
the  testy  gaolers,  the  rhapsodizing  lovers,  the  siy  cheats,  and 
the  ruffling  courtiers  that  filled  ^the  streets  of  Elizabethan 
London,  persons  who  could  have  been  found  nowhere  else 

•  ■'Never  (li'l  nntiireprodncc  n  Plnnt  thnt  In  a  short  Time  became  so  universallyuscrt,  for  It 
■was  but  a  short  whilu  known  in  Europe,  till  it  wim  lal<i'n  almost  everywiKjn',  etthfr  chewed ; 
smokeil,  or  snuttVil.  A  pipi^  of  moncco  is  now  tlic  general  and  most  frequent  cumpauionof. 
Mug  RnttI'M.r  Punch  bowl."— r.  5AwL  ,  ,    ^     j  ^,         ,»  -  .v« 

+  Gifl'ord  h:\s  iil^o  remarked  that  Slnikspearc^  is  the  only  one  of  the  dramatic  writers  of  the 
age  of  .lani-'s  wim  duoK  not  condesci'ml  to  notice  tobacco;  all  ilio  others  abound  in  nlluMons 
to  it.  In  .loiiBiin  \vr  liiid  tobacco  in  eveiy  i>);icc— in  Cob  the  waterman's  house,  and  in  «he 
Apollo  CluOrooin.  on  the  stage,  and  at  the  onliiiHry.  The  world  of  London  waa  lUcu  Oivlaea 
into  two  classes— the  tobacco-lovers  and  the  tobacco-haters. 


-x^ 


SxMOKINQ  TAUGHT.  95 

nor  in  any  other  age?  No  one  can  dispute  that  he  drew  the 
life  that  he  saw  moving  around  him.  He  sketched  these 
creatures  because  they  were  before  his  eyes  and  were  his 
enemies  or  his  associates;  they  live  still  because  their  creator's 
genius  was  Promethean,  and  endowed  them  with  immortality. 
Bardolph,  Moth,  Slender,  Abhorson,  Don  Armado,  Mercutio, 
etc.,  are  portraits,  as  everyone  knows  and  feels  who  is  con- 
versant with  the  manners  of  the  Elizabethan  times  as 
handed  down  in  old  plays. 

"If  Shakespeare's  contemporaries  were  silent  about  the 
then  new  fashion  of  smoking,  we  should  not  so  much  wonder 
at  Shakespeare's  taciturnity.  But  Decker  s  and  Ben  Jon- 
son's  works  abound  in  allusions  to  tobacco,  its  uses  and 
abuses.  The  humorist  and  satirist  lost  no  opportunity  of 
deriding  the  new  fashion  and  its  followers.  The  tobacco 
merchant  was  an  important  person  in  London  of  James  the 
First's  time — wnth  his  "Winchester  pipes,  his  maple  cutting- 
blocks,  his  juniper-wood  charcoal  fires,  and  his  silver  tongs 
with  which  to  hand  the  hot  charcoal  to  his  customers, 
although  he  was  shrewdly  suspected  of  adulterating  the 
precious  weed  with  sack  lees  and  oil.  It  was  his  custom  to 
wash  the  tobacco  in  muscadel  and  grains,  and  to  keep  it 
moist  by  wrapping  it  in  greased  leather  and  oiled  rags,  or  by 
burying  it  in  gravel.  The  Elizabethan  pipes  were  so  small 
that  now  when  they  are  dug  up  in  Ireland  the  poor  call  them 
'  fairy  pipes '  from  their  tininess.  These  pipes  became  known 
by  the  nickname  of  '  the  woodcock's  heads.'  The  apotheca- 
ries, who  sold  the  best  tobacco,  became  masters  of  the  art, 
and  received  pupils,  whom  they  taught  to  exhale  the  smoke 
in  little  globes,  rings,  or  the  '  Euripus.'  '  The  slights'  these 
tricks  were  called.  Ben  Jonson  facetiously  makes  these 
professors  boast  of  being  able  to  take  three  whiffs,  then  to 
take  horse,  and  evolve  the  smoke — one  whiff  on  Hounslow,  a 
second  at  Staines,  and  a  third  at  Bagshot. 

"The  ordinary  gallant,  like  Mercutio,  would  smoke  while 
the  dinner  was  serving  up.  Those  who  were  rich  and 
foolish  carried  with  them  smoking  apparatus  of  gold  or 
silver — tobacco-box,  snuff-ladle,  tongs  to  take  up  charcoal,  and 
priming  irons.  There  seems,  from  Decker's  '  Gull's  Horn- 
Book,"  to  have  been  smoking  clubs,  or  tobacco  ordinaries  as 
they  were  called,  where  tlie  entire  talk  Avas  of  the  best  shops 
for  buying  Trinidado,  the  Nicotine,  the  Cane,  and  the  Pud- 
ding, whose  pipe  had  the  best  bore,  which  would  turn 
blackest,  and  which  would  break  in  the  browning.  At  the 
theatres,  the  rakes  and  spendthrifts  who,  crowded  the  stage 


96  BEN  JOXSON  ON  THE  "WEED." 

of  Shakespeare's  time  sat  on  low  stools  smoking;  they  sat 
with  their  three  sorts  of  tobacco  beside  them,  and  handed 
each  other  lio;hts  on  the  points  of  their  swords,  sending  out 
their  pages  for  more  Trinidado  if  they  required  it.  Many 
gallants  '  took '  their  tobacco  in  the  lords  room  over  the  stage, 
and  went  out  to  (Saint)  Paul's  to  spit  there  privately. 
Shabby  sponges  and  lying  adventurers,  like  Bobadil,  bragged 
of  the  number  of  packets  of  '  the  most  divine  tobacco '  they 
had  smoked  in  a  week,  and  told  enormous  lies  of  living 
for  weeks  in  the  Indies  on  the  fumes  alone.  They  affirmed 
it  was  an  antidote  to  all  poison ;  that  it  expelled  rheums,  sour 
humours,  and  obstructions  of  all  kinds.  Some  doctors  were 
of  opinion  that  it  would  heal  gout*  and  the  ague,  neutralise 
the  effects  of  drunkenness,  and  remove  weariness  and  hunger. 
The  poor  on  the  other  hand,  not  disinclined  to  be  envious 
and  detracting  when  judging  rich  men's  actions,  laughed  at 
men  who  made  chimneys  of  their  throats,  or  who  sealed  up 
their  noses  with  snuff. 

"  Ben  Jonson  makes  that  dry,  shrewd,  water  carrier  of  his, 
Cob,  rail  at  the  '  roguish  tobacco  :'  he  would  leave  the  stocks 
for  worse  men,  and  make  it  present  whipping  for  either  man 
or  woman  who  dealt  with  a  tobacco-pipe.  But  King  James, 
in  his  inane  ^Counterblast,' is  more  violent  than  even  Cob. 
He  argues  that  to  use  this  unsavory  smoke  is  to  be  guilty  of 
a  worse  sin  than  that  of  drunkenness,  and  asks  how  men,  wha 
cannot  go  a  day's  journey  without  sending  for  hot  coals  to 
kindle  their  tobacco,  can  be  expected  to  endure  the  privations 
of  war.  Smoking,  the  angry  and  fuming  king  protests,  had 
made  our  manners  as  rude  as  those  of  the  fish-wives  of 
Dieppe.  Smokers,  tossing  pipes  and  puffing  smoke  over  the 
dinner-table,  forgot  all  cleanliness  and  modesty.  Men  now, 
he  says,  cannot  welcome  a  friend  but  straight  they  must  be 
in  hand  with  tobacco.  He  that  refused  a  pipe  in  company 
was  accounted  peevish  and  unsociable.  '  Yea,'  says  the  royal 
coxcomb  and  pedant, '  the  mistress  cannot  in  a  more  mannerly 
kind  entertain  her  servant  than  by  giving  him  out  of  her  fair 
hand  a  pipe  of  tobacco.'  The  royal  reformer  (not  the  most 
virtuous  or  cleanly  of  men)  closes  his  denunciation  with  this 
tremendous  broadside  of  invective  : 

'Have  you  not  reason,  then'  he  says,  'to  be  shamed  and 
to  forbear  this  filthy  novelty,  so  basely  grounded,  so  foolishly 
received,  and  so  grossly  mistaken  in  the  right  use  thereof? 


•"SomehoM  it  for  a  singular  remedie  against  the  gowte  (gout),  to  chaw  every  morning 
the  leaves  of  Petura  (tohacco),  because  it  voidetU  great  quantitie  of  flegme  cut  at  the 
mouth,  hindering  the  same  from  falling  upon  the  joints,  which  Is  the  very  cause  of  the 
gowte."   Dr.  mchard  Swjiei  (1606). 


CURATIVE  QUALITIES. 


97 


To  your  abuse  thereof  sin ninj^  an^ainst  God,  harming  yourself 
both  in  persons  and  goods,  and  taking  also  tliereb}'-  the  notes 
and  marks  of  vanity  npon  3'ou  by  the  custom  thereof,  making 
yourselves  to  be  wondered  at  by  all,  foreign  civil  nations  and 
by  all  strangers  that  come  among  yon,  and  be  scorned,  and 
contemned  ;  a  custom  both  fulsome  to  the  eye,  hateful  to  the 
nose,  harmful  to  the  brain,  dangerous  to  the  lungs,  and  in  the 
black  stinking  fume  thereof  nearest  resembling  the  horrible 
Stigian  sujelle  of  the  pit  that  is  bottomless." 

The  supposed  curative  virtues  of  the  tobacco  plant  had 
much  to  do  with  its  use  in  Europe  while  the  singular  mode 
of  exhaling  through  the  nostrils  added  to  its   charms,  and 


EXHALING    THROUGH    THE    NOSE. 


doubtless  led  to  far  greater  indulgence.  Spenser  in  his  Fairy 
Queen  makes  one  of  the  characters  include  it  with  other 
herbs  celebrated  for  medicinal  qualities. 

"  Into  the  woods  tlience-forth  in  haste  she  went, 
To  seek  for  herbes  that  mote  him  remedy ; 
For  she  of  herbes  had  great  intendiment, 
Taught  of  the  Nymph  which  from  her  infancy, 
Had  nursed  her  in  true  nobility : 
There  whether  it  divine  Tobacco  were, 
Or  PanacliaD,  or  Polygony, 
She  found  and  brought  it  to  her  patient  deare, 
Who  all  this  while  lay  bleeding  out  his  heart-blood  neare." 

7 


98  MODES  OF  USB. 

Lilly  also  a  little  later,  in  his  play  of  The  Woman  in  tho 
Moone  (1597(,  speaks  of  it  (through  one  of  the  characters)  as 
being  a  medicinal  herb — 

"  Gather  me  balme  and  cooling  violets 
And  of  our  holy  herbe  nicotian, 
And  bring  withall  pure  honey  from  the  hive 
To  heale  the  wound  of  my  unhappy  hand." 

Barclay,  in  his  tract  on  "  The  Vertues  of  Tobacco,"  recom- 
mends its  use  as  a  medicine.  The  following  is  one  of  tho 
modes  of  use : 

"  Take  of  leafe  Tobacco  as  much  as,  being  folded  together, 
may  make  a  round  ball  of  such  bignesse  that  it  may  fill  the 
patient's  mouth,  and  inclyne  his  face  downwaids  toward  tho 
ground,  keeping  the  mouth  open,  not  muntliing  any  whit 
with  his  tongue,  except  now  and  then  to  waken  the  medica- 
ment, there  shall  flow  such  a  flood  of  water  from  his  brain 
and  his  stomacke,  and  from  all  the  parts  of  his  body  that  it 
shall  be  a  wonder.  This  must  ho  do  fasting  in  the  morning, 
and  if  it  be  for  preservation,  and  the  bo(ly  be  very  caco- 
chyme,  or  full  of  evil  humors,  he  nuist  take  it  once  a  week, 
otherwise  once  a  month.  He  gives  the  plant  the  name  of 
'Nepenthes,'  and  says  of  it,  that  'it  is  worthy  of  a  more 
loftie  name.' "     He  writes  the  following  verse  addressed  to*. 

"  The  Abusers  of  Tobacco." 

*'  Why  do  you  thus  abuse  this  heavenly  plant, 
The  hope  of  health,  the  fuel  of  our  life? 
Why  do  you  waste  it  without  fear  of  want, 
Since  fine  and  true  tobacco  is  not  ryfe  ? 
Old  Enclio  won't  foul  water  for  to  spair, 
And  stop  the  bellows  not  to  waste  the  air." 

He  also  alludes  to  the  quality  of  tobacco  and  says:  "The 
finest  Tobacco  is  that  which  pearceth  quickly  the  odorat  with 
a  sharp  aromaticke  smell,  and  tickleth  the  tongue  with  acri- 
monie,  not  unpleasant  to  the  taste,  from  whence  that  which 
draweth  most  water  is  most  veituous,  whether  the  substance 
of  it  be  chewed  in  the  mouth,  or  the  smoke  of  it  received." 

He  speaks  of  the  countries  in  which  the  plant  grows,  and 
prefers  the  tobacco  grown  in  the  New  World  as  being  supe- 
rior to  that  grown  in  the  Old.      In  his  opinion,  "  only  that 


HELD  UP  TO  RIDICULE.  99 

which  is  fostered  in  tlie  Indies,  and  brought  home  4)y 
Mariners  and  Traffiqners,  is  to  be  used."  But  not  alone 
were  Poets  and  Dramatists  inspired  to  sing  in  praise  or  dis- 
praise of  tobacco,  Physicians  and  others  helped  to  swell  in 
broadsides,  pamphlets  and  chap-books,  the  loudest  praises  or 
the  most  bitter  denunciation  of  the  weed.  Taylor,  the  water 
poet,  who  lost  his  occupation  as  bargeman  wlien  the  coach 
came  into  use,  thought  that  the  devil  brought  tobacco  into 
England  in  a  coach.  One  of  the  first  tracts  wholly  devoted 
to  tobacco  is  entitled  Nash's  "  Lenten  StufFe."  The  work  is 
dedicated  to  Humphrey  King,  a  tobacconist,  and  is  full  of 
curious  sayings  in  regard  to  the  plant.  Another  work, 
er.titled  "  Metamorphosis  of  Tobacco,"  and  supposed  to  have 
been  written  by  Beaumont,  made  its  appearance  about  this 
time.  Samuel  Powlands,  the  dramatist,  wrote  two  works  on 
tobacco  ;  the  first  is  entitled  "  Look  to  it,  for  Pll  Stabbe  Ye," 
written  in  1604;  the  other  volume  is  a  small  quarto,  bearing 
this  singular  title:  "A  whole  crew  of  Kind  Gossips,  all  met 
to  be  Meri-y."  This  is  a  satire  on  the  time  and  manners  of 
the  period,  and  is  written  in  a  coarse  style  worthy  of  the 
author.  In  1G05  there  appeared  a  little  volume  bearing  for 
its  title,  "Laugh  and  Lie  Down,  or  the  World's  Folly." 
This  work  describes  the  fops  and  men  of  fashion  of  its  time, 
and  shows  how  popular  the  custom  of  tobacco  taking  had 
become.  In  1609,  in  "The  Gull's  Home  Book,"  a  gallant  is 
described  as  follows : 

"  Before  the  meate  comes  smoaking  to  the  board  our  Gal- 
lant must  draw  out  his  tobacco  box,  the  ladle  for  the  cold 
snuff  into  his  nostrils,  the  tongs  and  the  priming  iron.  All 
this  artillery  may  be  of  gold  or  silver,  if  he  can  reach  to  the 
price  of  it;  it  will  be  a  reasonable,  useful  pawn  at  all  times 
when  tli^e  current  of  his  money  falles  out  to  rune  low.  And 
here  you  must  observe  to  know  in  what  state  tobacco  is  in 
town,  better  than  the  merchants,  and  to  discourse  of  the 
potecaries  where  it  is  to  be  sold  as  readily  as  the  potecary 
himself." 

One  of  the  severest  tirades  against  tobacco  appeared  in 
1612,  "  The  Curtain  Drawer  of  the  World."  In  speaking  of 
the  users  of  the  weed,  and  especially  noblemen,  he  says: 


100  TIRADES  AGAINST  TOBACCO. 

"  Then  noblemen's  chimneys  used  to  smoke,  and  not  their 
noses ;  Englishmen  witliout  were  not  Blackamoores  within, 
for  then  Tobacco  was  an  Indian,  impickt  and  unpiped, — now 
made  the  common  ivy-bush  of  hixury,  the  curtaine  of  dis- 
honesty, the  proclaimer  of  vanity,  the  drunken  colonrer  of 
Drabby  solacy." 

In  the  "  Soule's  Solace,  or  Thirty-and-One  Spiritual 
Emblems,"  by  Thomas  Jenner,  occurs  the  following  verses : 

"  The  Indian  weed,  withered  quite, 
Greene  at  noone,  cut  down  at  night, 
Shows  thy  decay ;  all  flesh  is  hay  ; 
Thus  thinke,  then  drinke  Tobacco. 

The  Pipe  that  is  so  lily-white, 
Show  thee  to  be  a  mortal  wight, 
And  even  such,  gone  with  a  touch. 
Thus  thinke,  then  drinke  Tobacco. 

And  when  the  smoake  ascends  on  high, 
Thinke  thou  beholdst  the  vanity 
Of  worldly  stuffe,  gone  with  a  puffe, 
Thus  thinke,  then  drinke  Tobacco. 

And  when  the  Pipe  grows  foul  within, 
Thinke  on  thy  soul  defiled  with  sin, 
And  then  the  fire  it  doth  require ; 
Thus  tliinke,  then  drinke  Tobacco. 

The  ashes  that  are  left  behind. 
May  serve  to  put  thee  still  in  mind, 
That  unto  dust  return  thou  must ; 
Thus  thinke,  then  drinke  Tobacco." 

Buttes,  in  a  little  volume  entitled  "  Dyets  Dry  Dinner," 
(1599)  says  that  "  Tobacco  was  translated  out  of  India  in  the 
seede  or  roote ;  native  or  sative  in  our  own  fruitfullest  soils. 
It  cureth  any  grief e,  dolour,  imposture,  or  obstruction  pro- 
ceeding of  colde  or  winde,  especially  in  the  head  or  breast. 
Tlie  fume  taken  in  a  pipe  is  good  against  Rumes,  ache  in  the 
head,  stomacke,  lungs,  breast ;  also  in  want  of  meate,  drinke, 
Bleepe,  or  rest." 

The  introduction  of  tobacco  from  the  colony  of  Virginia 
was  followed  soon  after  by  a  reduction  of  price  that  led  to 
more  frequent  use  among  the  poorer  classes,  such  as  grooms 


ALE  AND  TOBACCO. 


101 


and  hangers  on  at  taverns  and  alc-bouses,  who  are  alhided  to 
in  Eich's  "  Honestie  of  this  Age : 

"  There  is  not  so  base  a  groome  that  comes  into  an  ale- 
house to  call  for  his  pott,  but  lie  must  have  his  pipe  of 
tobacco  ;  for  it  is  a  commodity  that  is  nowe  as  vendible  in 
every  tavern,  wine  and  ale-house,  as  eyther  wine,  ale  or  beare  ; 


OLD   LONDON    ALE-HOUSE. 


and  for  apothecaerie's  shops,  grocer's  shops,  chandler's  shops, 
they  are  never  without  company,  that  from  morning  till 
night,  are  still  taking  of  tobacco.  What  a  number  are  there 
besides,  that  doe  kcepe  houses,  set  open  shoppes,  that  have 
no  other  trade  to  live  by,  but  by  selling  of  tobacco.  I  have 
heard  it  told,  that  now  very  lately  there  hath  been  a  cata- 
logue of  all  those  new  erected  houses  that  have  sett  up  that 
.trade  of  selling  tobacco  in  London,  and  neare  about  London  ; 
and  if  a  man  may  believe  what  is  confidently  reported,  there 
are  found  to  be  upwards  of  seven  thousand  of  houses  that 
doth  live  by  that  trade. 

"If  it  be  true  that  there  be  seven  thousand  shops  in  and 
about  London,  that  doth  vend  tobacco,  as  it  is  credibly 
reported  that  there  be  over  and  above  that  number,  it  may 
well  be  supposed  to  be  but  an  ill  customed  shop,  that  taketh 
not  five  shillings  a  day,  one  day  with  another  throughout  the 
whole  year ;  or,  if  oii^c  doth  take  lesse,  two  other  may  take 
more; 'but  let  us  make  our  account,  but  after  two  shillings 
sixpence  a  day,  for  he  that  taketh  lesse  than  that  wonld  be 
ill  able  to  pay  his  rent,  or  to  keepe  open  his  shop  windows ; 
neither  would  tobacco  houses  make  such  a  muster  as  they  do, 
and  that  almost  in  every  lane,  and  in  every  by-corner  round 
about  London." 

"A    Tobacco   seller   is   described   after   this   manner   by 


1Q2  TOBACCO  SELLIISG. 

Blonnt  in  a  volume  "Micro-Cosmographie;  Or  A  Piece  of 
of  the  World  discovered ;  in  Essays  and  Characters  "  (162S). 

"  A  tobacco  seller  is  the  only  man  that  finds  good  in  it 
■which  otiiers  brag  of,  but  doe  not,  for  it  is  meate,  drinke,  and 
clothes  to  him.  No  man  opens  his  ware  with  greater  serious- 
ness, or  challenges  your  judgment  more  in  the  operation.  His 
Shop  is  the  Randenvous  of  spitting,  where  men  dialogue  with 
their  noses,  and  their  conversation  is  smoke.  It  is  the  place 
only  where  Spain  is  commended,  and  preferred  before  Eng- 
land itself. 

"  He  should  be  well  experienced  in  the  World ;  for  he  has 
daily  tryall  as  men's  nostrils,  and  none  is  better  acquainted 
with  humour.  His  is  the  piecing  commonly  of  some  other 
trade,  which  is  bawd  to  his  Tobacco,  and  that  to  his  wife, 
which  is  the  flame  that  follows  the  smoke." 

Early  in  the  Seventeenth  Century  began  the  persecution  by 
royal  haters  of  the  plant,  others,  however,  had  denounced 
the  weed  and  its  use  and  users,  but  venting  nothing  more 
than  a  tirade  of  words  against  it,  had  but  little  effect  in 
breaking  up  the  trade  or  the  custom.*  James  I.  sent  forth 
his  famous  "Counterblast"  and  in  the  strongest  manner  con- 
demned its  use.     A  portion  of  it  reads  thus : 

"  Surely  smoke  becomes  a  kitchen  fane  better  than  a  dining 
chamber :  and  yet  it  makes  a  kitchen  oftentimes  in  the 
inward  parts  of  men,  soy  ling  and  injecting  with  an  unctuous 
oyly  kind  of  roote  as  hath  been  found  in  some  great  tobacco 
takers,  that  after  death  wxre  opened.  A  custom  loathsome 
to  the  eye,  harmful  to  the  braine,  dangerous  to  the  lungs,  and 
the  black  stinking  fume  thereof,  nearest  resembling  the 
horrible  Stygian  smoke  of  the  pit  that  is  bottomless."  f 

Quaint  old  Burton  in  his  "Anatomy  of  Melancholy," 
recognizes  the  virtues  of  the  plant  while  he  anathematizes  its 
abuse.     He  says : — 

"Tobacco,  divine,  rare,  superexcellent  tobacco,  which  goes 
far  beyond  all  their  panacetas,  potable  gold,  and  philosophers' 
stones,  a  soveraign  remedy  to  all  diseases.     A  good  vomit,  I 

•Elfzab'-tTi  during  Tier  rple-n,  pxiWlsTied  nn  pdlct  agninst  its  use,  assipnirg  as  ft  reason, 
that  li'  r  Riil)jects,  by  eniployiug  the  same  luxuries  as  barbarians,  were  likely  to  degenerate 
Into  biirbarihin.  ,  ,        ,,     „  .i. 

"From  tlie  flrat  introduction  of  the  weed,  the  votar'es  of  the  pipe  have  enjoyed  all  the 
Wessinjrs  of  ptTKCcution.  Kings  h;ive  pnnisbed.  priests  have  iiDathcmntiycd,  saliriBts 
satirized  and  women  seolded  ;  but  still  the  weed,  with  its  divers  fhnpes  and  different  names, 
reigns  snpn  me  among  narcotics  in  every  region  of  the  f^\o\3e.'—EmerfiOn'\  Uugazine. 

t  Anolhi-r  writer  in  tin-  siimi?  censoiious  manner  says  of  the  use  of  tobacco.  '•  bmolclnff 
is  the  jovial  repast  of  Ciinnihals  or  Maii-i-aters.  and  the  grand  entertainment  of  idolatrous 
Pagan  Festivals.  Masters  will  not  permit  the  use  of  It  to  their  eervantB  or  BlaveB  and  snca 
as  ase  It  cau  hurdly  find  luaeters  or  buyers." 


TOBACCO  IN  EUROPE.  103 

confesse,  a  vertuous  herb,  if  it  be  well  qualified,  opportunely 
taken,  and  medicinally  used ;  but,  as  it  is  commonly  abused 
by  most  men,  which  take  it  as  tinkers  do  ale,  'tis  a  plague,  a 
miscliief,  a  violent  piirgcr  of  goods,  lands,  health,  hellish, 
divclish  and  damned  tobacco,  the  mine  and  overthrow  of 
body  and  soul." 

The  duty  on  importation  liad  been  only  twopence  per 
pound,  a  moderate  sum  in  view  of  the  prices  realized  by  the 
ealc  of  it. 

The  King  now  increased  it  to  the  enormous  sum  of  two 
sliilling  and  ten  pence.  James  termed  the  custom  of  using 
tobacco  an  "evil  vanitic"  impairing  "the  health  of  a  great 
number  of  people  their  bodies  weakened  and  made  unfit  for 
labor,  and  the  estates  of  many  mean  persons  so  decayed  and 
consumed,  as  they  are  thereby  driven  to  unthriftie  shifts 
only  to  maintain  their  gluttonous  exercise  thereof."  *  Brodi- 
gan  says  of  the  "  Counterblast :  " 

"However  absurd  his  reasoning  may  appear,  it  unfortu- 
nately liappened  that  he  possessed  the  power  to  reduce  his 
aversion  to  practice,  and  he  may  be  considered  a.^  the  author 
of  that  unwarrantable  persecution  of  the  tojacco  plant,  which 
under  varying  circumstances,  has  been  injudiciously  continued 
to  the  present  time." 

Other  royal  haters  of  the  plant  issued  the  most  strenous 
lawsf  and  afilxed  penalties  of  the  severest  kind,  of  these  may 
be  mentioned  the  King  of  Persia,  Ainuroth  IV.  of  Turkey, 
the  Emperor  Jehan-Gee  and  Popes  Urban  VIII.  and 
Innocent  XII.,  the  last  of  whom  sho-\cd  his  dislike  to  many 
other  customs  beside  that  of  tobacco  taking. 

One  of  the  edicts  which  he  issued  Avas  against  the  taking 
of  snuff  in  St.  Peters,  at  Rome ;  this  was  in  1G90;  it  was, 
however,  revoked  by  Pope  Benedict  XIV.,  who  himself  had 
acquired  the  indulgence. 

Early  in  the  Seventeenth  Century  tobacco  found  its  way  to  ~| 
Constantinople.     To  punish  the  habit,  a  Turk  was  seized  and 
a  pipe  transfixed  through  his  nose. 

•"KInfT  .larnos"  vtolpntp7rjn(!i''r!ia~alvt  i  :i  rs-?  of  tohnco.irose  from  IM.s  aversion  to 
Bir  W.ilt(vUiI;i;?'i.l;a  lUv.tlmiicrCcri.itoUiisIuinl  wliui:!  liuliiiiiudcil  asacriCcu  to  tlic  grat- 
iUcaf.lo:!  of  t!i<!  liiMir  of  Spnln." 

t  I'll'!  Rinnrcfn  J'linhi-t')  \v:n  I-rh  kcvit".  Ti'^n  d-cr<'''i1  fhiit,  tlir>  FMiiff-hoxcs  of  tliosc  who 
TUdo  luuot'lbcm  in  cliurch  bhould  Oc  coiiflscaifil  lo  llii;  use  of  tlio  beudlj. 


^f '  f^^ : 


':J 


KOY^L  HATERS  OF  TOBACCO.  105 

The  death  of  King  James,  followed  by  its  occupancy  of  ~\ 
the  throne  by  his  son  Charles  I.,  did  not  lessen  the  persecu-     \ 
tion  against  tobacco.*     In  1625,  the  year  of  his  accession,  he      ' 
issued  a  proclamation  against  all  tobaccos  excepting  only  the 
growth  of  Virginia  and  Somerites.     Charles  II.  also  prohib-     1 
ited   the   cultivation   of  tobacco   in   England   and    Ireland, 
attaching  a  penalty  of  10£  per  rood.     Fairholt,  in  alhiding 
to  the  Stuarts  and  CromweJi as  persecutors  of  tobacco,  says: 

"  Cromwell  disliked  the  plant,  and  ordered  his  troops  to 
trample  down  the  crop  wherever  found." 

It  is  an  historical  fact  that  both  James  I.  and  the  two 
Charleses  as  well  as  Cromwell  had  the  strongest  dislike  against 
the  Indian  weed. 

With  such  powerful  foes  it  seems  hardly  possible  that  the 
custom  should  have  increased  to  such  an  extent  that  when 
William  ascended  the  throne  the  custom  was  said  to  be 
almost  universal. f  "Pipes  grew  larger  and  ruled  by 
Dutchman,  all  England  smoked  in  peace."  From  this  time 
forward  the  varieties  used  served  o|ily  to  increase  the  demand 
for  the  tobacco  of  the  colonies,  and  as  its  culture  became 
better  understood  the  leaf  grew  in  favor,  until  the  demand 
for  it  was  greater  than  the  production. 

During  the  reign  of  Anne,  the  custom  of  smoking  appears 
to  have  attained  its  greatest  height  in  England  ;  the  consnmp — ^ 
tion  of  tobacco  was  then  proportionably  greater,  considering 
the  population,  than  it  is  at  the  present  time.     Spooner,  in 
his  " Looking-Glass  for  Smokers,"  1703,  says  of  the  custom: 

"  The  sin  of  the  kingdom  in  the  intemperate  use  of  tobacco, 
swellcth  and  increaseth  so  daily,  that  1  can  compare  it  to 
nothing  but  the  waters  of  Noah,  that  swell'd  fifteen  cubits 
above  tlie  highest  mountains.  So  that  if  this  practice  shall 
continue  to  increase  as  it  doth,  in  an  age  or  two  it  will  be  as 
hard  to  find  a  family  free,  as  it  was  so  long  time  since  one 
that  commonly  took  it." 

•Tobacco  hns  been  able  to  eurvlve  snob  attacks  ns  tboFP— nny,  bas  raisptl  up  ahost  of 
flefeiHlers  !i8  well  as  oppoMonts.  Tbe  Polisli  Jesuits  publlsh'd  a  wcjrk  entitled"  Anti-Miso- 
capnus,"  in  aiiswev  to  Kinfj  James.  In  1628.  Raphael  TboriiiH  wriite  a  pi.ein  "Hyninus 
Tol)!ici."  A  bos',  of  n.nnioH  appear  In  ilie  Hi  111 :  LeauR,  Brauni  and  Simon  Puull,  Poi  tal,  I'ia, 
Viinqiielin,  GardHune,  Pugvelt.  lieiuiann,  and  De  Morvciau. 

tsayg  an  enthusiastic  writer  on  lol):ice<),  "If  juilpcd  bv  the  vlci.spitndeB  tbrongb  wblcb  It 
has  traveled,  it  must  indeed  be  aeknowlrdgt-d  ii  bero  iinionn  filanis;  and  If  liuman  pity, 
respect,  orlove  should  be  given  it  for  '  the  dangers  it  has  passed,"  the  inspiration  of  Desde- 
moiiia's  love  for  Othello,  then  might  its  most  eloquent  oppoueut  be  dumb,  or  yield  It  no 
Inconsiderable  meed  of  bomago." 


106 


OLD  CUSTOMS. 


When  tobacco  was  first  introduced  into  England  its  sale 
was  confined  to  apothecaries,  but  afterwards  it  was  dealt  in 
by  tobacconists,  who  sold  other  goods  besides  tobacco. 

About  the  middle  of  the  Seventeenth  Century  the 
culture  of  tobacco  commenced  in  England ;  it  continued, 
however,  only  for  a  short  time,  for  the  rump  parliament  in 
1652  prohibited  the  planting  of  it,  and  tM^o  years  later  Crom- 
well and  his  council  appointed  commissioners  for  strictly 
putting  this  act  in  execution :  and  in  1660  it  was  legally 
enacted,  that  from  the  first  of  January,  1660-1,  no  person 
whatever  should  sow  or  plant  any  tobacco  in  England,  under 
certain  penalties. 

In  England  drinking  or  smoking  tobacco  seems  to  have 
met  with  more  success  (as  a  mode  of  use)  rather  than 
chewing  (now  so  popular).  It  was  principally  confined  to 
the  lower  classes,  and  was  common  among  soldiers  and  sailors. 


SILVER   SPITTOONS. 


When  used  by  gentlemen  it  was  common  to  carry  a  silver 
basin  to  spit  in. 

The  habit  of  smoking  or  using  tobacco  in  any  form  was 


A  RACY  POEM.  107 

then  more  constant  than  now,  and  its  use  was  common  in 
almost  all  places  of  public  gathering.  It  was  the  custom  to 
smoke  in  theatres  ;  stools  being  provided  for  those  who  paid 
for  their  use  and  the  privilege  of  smoking  on  the  stage. 
Tobacco  was  also  sold  at  some  of  the  play-houses,  and  proved 
a  source  of  profit,  doubtless,  beyond  even  the  representation 
of  the  plays.  We  should  infer  also  from  some  of  the  early 
stage  plays,  that  the  "  players "  used  the  weed  even  when 
acting  their  parts.  Rowlands  gives  the  following  poem  on 
tobacco  in  his  "  Knave  of  Clubs,"  1611 : — 

"  Who  durst  dispraise  tobacco  whilst  the  smoke  is  in  my  nose, 

Or  say,  but  fah !  my  pipe  doth  smell,  I  would  I  knew  but  those 

Durst  offer  such  indignity  to  that  which  I  prefer. 

For  all  the  brood  of  blackamoors  will  swear  I  do  not  err, 

In  taking  this  same  worthy  whif  with  valiant  cavalier, 

But  that  will  make  his  nostrils  smoke,  at  cupps  of  wine  or  beer. 

When  as  my  purse  can  not  afford  my  stomach  flesh  or  fish, 

I  sop  with  smoke,  and  feed  as  well  and  fat  as  one  can  wish. 

Come  into  any  company,  though  not  a  cross  you  have, 

Yet  offer  them  tobacco,  and  their  Tquor  you  shall  have. 

They  say  old  hospitalitie  kept  chimnies  smoking  still ; 

Now  what  your  chimnies  want  of  that,  our  smoking  noses  will. 

Much  vituals  serves  for  gluttony,  to  fatten  men  like  swine, 

But  he's  a  frugal  man  indeed  that  with  a  leaf  can  dine. 

And  needs  no  napkins  for  his  hands,  his  fingers'  ends  to  wipe, 

But  keeps  his  kitchen  in  a  box,  and  roast  meat  in  a  pipe. 

This  is  the  waj'  to  help  down  years,  a  meal  a  day's  enough : 

Take  out  tobacco  for  the  rest,  by  pipe,  or  else  by  snuff. 

And  you  shall  find  it  physical ;  a  corpulent,  fat  man, 

Within  a  year  shall  shrink  so  small  that  one  his  guts  shall  span. 

It's  full  of  physic's  rare  effects,  it  worketh  sundry  ways. 

The  leaf  green,  dried,  steept,  burnt  to  dust,  have  each  their  several  praise, 

It  makes  some  sober  that  are  drunk,  some  drunk  of  sol'cr  sense, 

And  all  the  moisture  hurts  the  brain,  it  fetches  smoking  thence. 

All  the  four  elements  unite  when  you  tobacco  take. 

For  earth  and  water,  air  and  fire,  do  a  conjunction  make. 

The  pipe  is  earth,  the  fire's  therein,  the  air  the  breathing  smoke; 

Good  liquor  must  be  present  too,  for  fear  I  chance  to  choke. 

Here,  gentlemen,  a  health  to  all,  'Tis  passing  good  and  strong. 

I  would  speak  more,  but  for  the  pipe  I  cannot  stay  so  long. 

In  1602  appeared  a  sweeping  tirade  entitled,  "  Work  for 
Chimney  Sweepers,  or  a  Warning  against  Tobacconists."     It 


108 


GOOD  RECOMMENDATIONS. 


abounds  with  threats  against  all  who  indulge  in   tobacco. 

The  most  singular  work,  how- 
ever, appeared  in  1616,  bearing 
the  following  singular  title: 
"The  Smoking  Age,  or  the  Man 
in  the  Mist ;  with  the  Life  and 
Death  of  Tobacco,  Dedicated 
to  Captain  Whiffe,  Captain  Pipe, 
and  Captain  Snufle."  A  frontis- 
piece is  given  representing  a 
tobacconist's  shop  with  shelves, 
counters,  pipes  and  tobacco ;  a 
carved  figure  of  a  negro  stands 
upon  the  counter,  which  shows 
how  soon  such  figures  were  used 
by  dealers  in  pipes  and  tobacco. 

The  title-page  contains  the  following  epigram : 

"  This  some  affirme,  yet  yield  I  not  to  that, 
'Twill  make  a  fat  man  lean,  a  lean  man  fat; 
But  this  I'm  sure  (howse'ere  it  be  they  meane) 
That  many  whiffes  will  make  a  fiat  man  lean." 

The  following  effusion  resembles  many  of  the  verses  of 
the  day  on  the  fruitful  subject : 

"  Tobacco's  an  outlandish  weed, 
Doth  in  the  land  strange  wonders  breed, 
It  taints  the  breatli,  the  blood  it  dries, 
It  burns  the  head,  it  blinds  the  eyes  ; 
It  dries  the  lungs,  scourgeth  the  lights,    • 
It  numbs  the  soul,  it  dulls  the  sprites; 
I  brings  a  man  into  a  maze. 
And  makes  him  sit  for  other's  gaze ; 
It  makes  a  man,  it  mars  a  purse, 
A  lean  one  fat,  a  fat  one  worse ; 
A  sound  man  sick,  a  sick  man  sound, 
A  bound  man  loose,  a  loose  man  bound; 
A  white  man  black,  a  black  man  wliite, 
A  night  a  day,  a  day  a  night; 
The  wise  a  fool,  the  foolish  wise, 
A  sober  man  in  drunkard's  guise ; 


LESSONS  TAUGHT  US.  109 

A  drunkard  with  a  drought  or  twain, 

A  sober  man  it  makes  again ; 

A  full  man  empty,  and  an  empty  full, 

A  gentleman  a  foolish  gull ; 

It  turns  the  brain  like  cat  in  pan. 

And  makes  a  Jack  a  gentleman." 

The  well-known  60ii<^  of  "  Tobacco  is  an  Indian  "Weed," 
was  written  most  probably  the  last  half  of  the  Seventeenth 
Century,  Fairholt  gives  the  best  copy  we  have  seen  of  it. 
It  is  taken  from  the  first  volume  of  "  Pills  to  Purge  Melan- 
choly," and  reads  thus : 

"  Tobacco's  but  an  Indian  weed, 

Grows  green  at  morn,  cut  down  at  eve, 
It  shows  our  decay,  we  are  but  clay ; 
Think  of  this  when  you  smoke  tobacco. 

"  The  pipe,  that  is  so  lily  white, 
Wherein  so  nsany  take  delight, 
Is  broke  with  a  touch — man's  life  is  such; 
Think  of  this  when  you  smoke  tobacco. 

"  The  pipe,  that  is  so  foul  within. 

Shews  how  man's  soul  is  stained  witli  sin. 
And  then  the  fire  it  doth  require ; 
Think  of  this  when  you  smoke  tobacco. 

"  The  ashes  that  are  left  behind 
Do  serve  to  put  us  all  in  mind 
That  unto  dust  return  we  must; 
Think  of  this  when  you  smoke  tobacco. 

"  The  smoke,  that  does  so  high  ascend. 
Shews  us  man's  life  must  have  an  end. 
The  Vapor's  gone — man's  life  is  done ; 
Think  of  this  when  you  smoke  tobacco." 

One  of  the  strongest  objections  against  the  use  of  the 
"  Indian  novelty  "  was  its  ruinous  cost  at  this  period.  During 
the  reign  of  James  The  First  and  Charles  The  Second, 
Spanish  tobacco  sold  at  from  ten  to  eighteen  shillings  per 
pound  while  Virginia  tobacco  sold  for  a  time  for  three 
shillings.  In  no  age  and  b}"^  no  race  excepting  perhaps  the 
Indians  was  the  habit  so  universal  or  carried  to  such  a  length 


110  A  SMOKING  DIVINE. 

as  in  the  Seventeentli  Century — its  supposed  virtues  as  a 
medicine  induced  many  to  inhale  the  smoke  constantly. 
This  was  one  reason  why  tobacco  was  condemned  by  so 
many  of  the  writers  and  playwrights  of  the  day  yet  many 
of  them  used  the  weed  in  some  form  from  Ben  Johnson  to 
Gibber  the  one  fond  of  his  pipe  the  other  of  his  snuff. 

In  1639  Yenner  published  a  volume  entitled  "  A  Treatise  " 
concerning  the  taking  of  the  fume  of  tobacco.  His  advice 
is  "  to  take  it  moderately  and  at  fixed  times."  Many  of  the 
clergy  were  devoted  adherents  of  the  pipe.  Lilly  says  of  its 
use  among  them : 

"  In  this  year  Bredon  vicar  of  Thornton  a  profound  divine, 
but  absolutely  the  most  polite  person  for  nativities  in  that 
age,  strictly  adhering  to  Ptolemy,  which  he  well  understood ; 
he  had  a  hand  in  composing  Sir  Christopher  Heydon's 
defence  of  judicial  astrology,  being  that  time  his  chaplain ;  he 
was  so  given  over  to  tobacco  and  drink,  that  when  he  had  no 
tobacco,  he  would  cut  the  bell-ropes  and  smoke  them." 


CHAPTER   y. 

TOBACCO   IN   EUEOPE.      (CONTINUED.) 

■EANDER  in  his  work  "  Tobacologia,"  (1622)  gives 
list  of  the  various  kinds  of  tobacco  then  used  and 
•here  they  were  cultivated,  among  them  are  the 
following  well  known  now  as  standard  varieties  of 
tobacco:  Brazilian,  St.  Domingo,  Orinoco,  Virginia,  and 
Trinidad  tobacco.  Fairholt  says  of  the  latter  that  it  was 
most  popular  in  England  and  is  frequently  named  by  early 
authors.*  Tobacco  when  prepared  for  us  was  made  into 
long  rolls  or  large  balls  which  often  answered  for  the 
tobacconist's  sign.  What  we  now  call  cut  tobacco  was  not 
as  popular  then  as  roll.  Smokers  carried  a  roll  of  tobacco, 
a  knife  and  tinder  to  ignite  their  tobacco.  At  the  close  of 
the  Sixteenth  Century  tobacco  was  introduced  into  the  East. 
In  Persia  and  Turkey  where  at  first  its  use  was  opposed  by 
the  most  cruel  torture  it  gained  at  length  the  sanction  and 
approval  of  even  the  Sultan  himself.  Pallas  gives  the  fol- 
lowing: account  in  regard  to  its  first  introduction  into  Asia : 

"  In  Asia,  and  especially  in  China,  the  use  of  tobacco  for 
smoking  is  more  ancient  than  the  discovery  of  the  New 
"World,  I  too  scarcely  entertain  a  doubt.  Among  the  Chinese, 
and  among  the  Mongol  tribes  who  had  the  most  intercourse 
with  them,  the  custom  of  smoking  is  so  general,  so  frequent, 
and  become  so  indispensable  a  luxury;  the  tobacco  purse 
afiixed  to  their  belt,  so  necessary  an  article  of  dress ;  the 
form  of  the  pipes  from  whicii  the  Dutch  seem  to  have  taken 
the  model  of  theirs  so  original;  and,  lastly  the  preparation  of 
the  yellow  leaves,  which  are  merely  rubbed  to  pieces  and 

*  Ncandcr  aayi  that  Variaas  toliacco  was  the  best. 

Ill 


112 


POPULAR  USE  OF  TOBACCO. 


then  put  into  the  pipe,  so  peculiar,  that  we  cannot  possibly 
derive  all  this  from  America  by  way  of  Europe ;  especitilly 
as  India,  (where  the  habit  of  smoking  is  not  so  general,)  inter- 
venes between  Persia  and  China.  May  we  not  expect  to  tind. 
traces  of  this  custom  in  the  first  account  of  the  Voyages  of 
the  Portugese  and  Dutch  to  China  ?  To  investigate  tliis 
subject,  I  have  indeed  the  inclination  but  not  sufficient 
leisure." 

We  find  by  research  that  smoking  was  the  most  general 
mode  of  using  tobacco  in  England  when  first  introduced. 
In  France  the  habit  of  snuffing  was  the  most  popular  mode 

and  to  this  day  the  cus- 
"^  tom  IS  more  general 

than  elsewhere.  In  the 
days  of  the  Regency 
snuff-taking  had  attained 
more  general  popularity 
than  any  other  mode  of 
using  the  plant  leaves; 
the  clergy  were  fond  of 
the  "  dust "  and  carried 
the  most  expensive  snuff 
boxes,  while  many  loved 
the  pipe  and  indulged  in 
tobacco-smoking.  The 
old  vicar  restored  to  his  living  enjoyed  a  pipe  when  seated 
in  his  chair  musing  on  the  subject  of  his  next  Sunday's  dis- 
course, "  with  a  jug  of  sound  old  ale  and  a  huge  tome  ot 
sound  old  divinity  on  the  table  before  him,  for  the  occasional 
refreshment  as  well  of  the  bodily  as  the  spiritual  man," 

The  cultivation  of  tobacco  in  Europe  was  begun  in  Spain 
and  Portugal.  Its  culture  in  these  kingdoms  as  well  as  by 
their  colonies  brought  to  the  crown  enormous  revenues.  In 
1626,  its  culture  began  in  France  and  is  still  an  important 
product.  A  little  later  it  began  to  be  cultivated  in  Gerniany 
where  it  had  already  been  used  as  a  favorite  luxury.  From 
this  time  its  use  and  cultivation  extended  to  various  parts  of 
Europe.  The  Persecutors  whether  kings,  popes,  poets,  or 
courtiers  at  length  gave  up  their  opposition  while  many  of 


TOBACCO   AND  THEOLOGY. 


MORE  POETRY  113 

them  joined  in  tlie  use  and  spread  of  tlie  custom.  It  has 
"been  said  with  much  truth : 

"History  proves  that  persecution  never  triumphs  in  its 
attempted  eradications.  Tobacco  was  so  generally  liked  that 
no  legislative  measures  could  prevent  its  use." 

At  first  the  use  of  tobacco  was  confined  to  fops  and  the 
hangers  on  at  ale  houses  and  taverns  but  afterwards  by  the 
"  chief  men  of  the  realm."  Soon  after  the  importation  of 
the  "durned  weed"  from  Virginia  the  tobacco  muse  gave 
forth  many  a  lay  concerning  the  custom.  The  following 
verses  describe  the  method  of  smoking  then  in  vogue: 

Nor  did  that  time  know- 
To  puff  and  to  blow- 
In  a  peece  of  white  clay, 
As  they  do  at  this  day 
With  fier  and  coole, 
And  a  leafe  in  a  hole ; 
As  my  ghost  hath  late  seen, 
As  I  walked  betwene 
Westminister  Hall 
And  the  church  of  St.  Paul, 
And  so  thorow  the  citie 
Where  I  saw-  and  did  pitty 
My  country  men's  cases. 
With  fiery-smoke  faces, 
Sucking  and  drinking 
A  filthie  weede  stinking, 
Was  ne'r  known  before 

Till  the  devil  and  the  Moro  *^:' 

In  th'  Indies  did  meete, 
And  each  other  there  greete 
With  a  health  they  desire, 
Of  stinke,  smoke  and  fier. 
But  who  e're  doth  abhorre  it. 
The  citie  smookes  for  it  ;  . 

Now  full  of  fier  shop, 
And  fowle  spitttng  chop, 
So  sneezing  and  coughing. 
That  my  ghost  fell  to  scofltog. 
And  to  myself  said : 
Here's  filthie  fumes  made ;  >■ 

Good  phisicke  oi  force 
To  cure  a  eicke  horse." 


114  FROM  "OLD  SALT." 

The  Puritans,  from  the  first  introduction  of  the  plant, 
were  sincere  haters  of  tobacco,  not  only  in  England  but  in 
America.  Cromwell  had  as  strong  a  dislike  of  the  plant  as 
King  James,  and  ordered  the  troopers  to  destroy  the  crops 
by  trampling  them  under  foot.  Hutton  describes  a  Puritan 
as  one  who 

"  Abhors  a  sattin  suit,  a  velvet  cloak, 
And  sayes  tobacco  is  the  Devill's  smoke." 

Probably  no  other  plant  has  ever  met  with  such  powerful 
determined  opposition,  both  against  its  use  and  cultivation, 
as  the  tobacco  plant.  It  was  strenuously  opposed  by  all 
possible  means,  gpvernmental,  legislative,  and  literary.  When 
tea  and  coffee  were  first  introduced  both  were  denounced  in 
unmeasured  terms,  but  the  opposition  was  not  so  bitter  or  as 
lasting. 

The  following  verses  bearing  the  nom  deplume  of  an  "  Old 
Salt,"  record  much  of  the  history  of  the  plant : — 

"  Oh  muse !  grant  me  the  power 
(I  have  the  will)  to  sing 
How  oft  in  lonely  hour, 
When  storms  would  round  me  lower, 
Tobacco's  prcfv'd  a  King ! 

**  Philanthropists,  no  doubt 
With  good  intentions  ripe, 
Their  dogmas  may  put  out, 
And  arrogantly  shout 
The  evils  of  the  pipe. 

*  Kind  moralists,  with  tracts, 
Opinions  fine  may  show : 
Produce  a  thousand  facts- 
How  ill  tobacco  acts 
Man's  system  to  o'erthrow. 

*'  Learn'd  doctors  have  employed 

Much  patience,  time  and  skill,  * 

To  prove  tobacco  cloyed 

With  acrid  alkaloid, 

With  power  the  nerves  to  kill 

"  E'en  Popes  have  curst  the  plant; 
Kings  bade  its  use  to  cease ; 


TOBACCO  GLORIFIED.  115 

But  all  the  Pontift's  rant 
And  Royal  Jamie's  cant 
Ne'er  made  its  use  decreaae. 

*'  Teetotallers  may  stamp 
And  roar  at  pipes  and  beer; 
But  place  them  in  a  swamp, 
When  nights  are  dark  and  damp — 
Their  tune  would  change,  I  fear. 

**  No  adyocate  am  I 
Of  excess  in  one  or  t'other. 
And  ne'er  essayed  to  try 
In  wine  to  drown  a  sigh, 
Or  a  single  care  to  smother. 

*'  Yet,  in  moderation  pure, 
A  glass  is  well  enough ; 
But,  a  troubled  heart  to  cure, 
Kind  feelings  to  insure, 
Give  me  a  cheerful  puff. 

*'  How  oft  a  learn'd  divine 
His  sermons  will  prepare, 
Not  by  imbibing  wine, 
But,  'neath  th'  influence  fine 
Of  a  pipe  of  "  baccy  "  rare ! 

**  How  many  a  pleasing  scene, 
How  many  a  happy  joke. 
How  many  a  satire  keen. 
Or  problem  sharp,  has  been 
Evolved  or  born  of  smoke ! 

**  How  oft,  amidst  the  jar 
Of  storms  on  ruin  bent, 
On  ship-board,  near  or  far. 
To  the  drenched  and  shiv'ring  tax 
Tobacco's  solace  lent! 

«  Oh !  tell  me  not  'tis  bad. 
Or  that  it  shortens  life. 
Its  charms  can  soothe  the  sad, 
And  make  the  wretched  glad, 
In  trouble  and  in  strife. 

*'  "Tis  used  in  every  clime. 

By  all  men,  high  and  low;  ^' 

It  is  praised  in  prose  and  rhymei 
So  let  the  kind  herb  grow  I 


116  WEIGHT  OF  SMOKE. 

"  'Tis  a  friend  to  the  distress'd, 
'Tis  a  comforter  in  need ; 
It  is  social,  soothing,  blest; 
It  has  fragrance,  force,  and  zest; 
Then  hail  the  kingly  weed !" 

While  Raleigh  *  and  many  of  Elizabeth's  courtiers  indulged 
frequently  in  a  pipe,  some  have  imagined  that  even  Queen 
Bess  herself  tested  the  rare  virtues  of  tobacco.  This  is 
hardly  based  upon  sufficient  proof  to  warrant  a  very  strong 
belief  in  it ;  but  the  follov^^ing  account  of  "  How  to  weigh 
smoke  "  taken  from  Tinsleifs  Magazine  shows  that  the  Queen 
was  acquainted  at  least  with  Raleigh's  use  of  the  weed  : 
/  "  One  day  it  happened  that  Queen  Elizabeth,  wandering 
about  the  grounds  and  alleys  at  Hampton  with  a  single  maid 
of  honour,  came  upon  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  indulging  in  a 
pipe.  Smoking  now  is  as  common  as  eating  and  drinking, 
and  to  smoke  amongst  ladies  is  a  vulgarity.  But  not  so  then : 
it  was  an  accomplishment,  it  was  a  distinction ;  and  one  of 
the  feathers  in  Sir  Walter's  towering  cap  was  his  introduction 
of  tobacco.  The  all-accomplished  hero  rose  and  saluted  the 
Queen  in  his  grand  manner,  and  the  Queen,  who  was  in  her 
daintiest  humour,  gave  him  her  white  hand  to  kiss,  and  took 
the  seat  he  had  left. 

"  ITow,  Sir  Walter,  I  can  puzzle  you  at  last."  "  I  suppose 
I  must  not  be  so  rude  as  to  doubt  your  Majesty."  "  You  are 
bold  enough  for  that,  but  your  boldness  will  not  help  you. 
Sir  Walter,  this  time.  You  cannot  tell  me  how  much  the 
smoke  from  your  pipe  weighs."  "  Your  Majesty  is  mistaken. 
I  can  tell  you  to  a  nicety.  Will  your  Majesty  allow  me  to 
call  yonder  page,  and  send  for  a  pair  of  scales  and  weights  ? '. 
"  By  my  honour,"  said  the  Queen,  "  were  any  other  subject 
in  our  realm  to  make  request  so  absurd,  we  should  very 
positively  deny  it.  But  you  are  the  wisest  of  our  fools,  and, 
though  we  expect  to  see  but  little  use  made  of  these  weights 
when  brought,  your  request  shall  be  granted.  And,  suppos- 
ing you  fail  to  weigh  the  smoke,  what  penalty  will  you  pay  ?'* 
"  I  will  be  content,"  said  Sir  Walter,  "  to  lose  my  head." 
"  You  may  chance  to  lose  it  on  a  graver  count  than  this ;  '* 
answered  the  Queen.     "  If  the  head  shall  have  done  some 


•  It  is  said  that  Kaleigh  ia  commnnicatlng  the  art  to  his  friends,  gave  smoking  parties  at 
His  nouse,  where  his  guests  were  treated  with  nothing  but  a  pipe,  a  mug  of  ale.  and  a 
nutmeg.  Says  an  English  writer:  "From  the  anecdote  related  respecting  the  weight  of 
smoke,  the  vapor  of  the  pipe  certainly  did  not  throw  a  cloud  over  the  brilliant  wit  of  the 
unfortunate  Kaleigh." 


FIRE !     FIRE ! 


ir 


slight  service  to  jour  Majesty  and  the  realm,"  replied  the 
courteous  knight,  "thee  will  he  well  content  nevertheless." 

"liut  your  Majesty  will  soon  see  that  I  fail  not.  First, 
madam,  I  place  this  empty  pipe  in  the  scales,  and  I  find  that 
it  weighs  exactly  2  ounces.  I  now  till  it  with  tobacco,  and 
the  weight  is  in- 
creased to  2  1-lOth 
ounce.  I  must  now 
ask  your  Majesty  to 
allow  me  to  smoke 
the  pipe  out.  I  shall 
then  turn  out  the 
ashes,  and  place  them 
together  with  the 
pipe  in  the  scale  once 
more.  The  differ- 
6  n  c  e  between  the 
weight  of  the  pipe 
with  the  unsmoked 
tobacco,  and  weight 
of  the  pipe  with  the 
ashes,  will  be  the 
weight  of  the  smoke." 
"You  are  too  clever 
for  us,  Sir  Walter.  We  shall  expect  you  to-night  at  supper, 
and  if  the  conversation  grow  dull,  you  shall  tell  our  cour- 
tiers the  story  of  the  pipe." 

Many  other  anecdotes  have  been  told  of  the  adventures  of 
Kaleigh  with  his  pipe.  One  is  that  wliile  taking  a  quiet 
smoke  his  servant  entered  and  becoming  alarmed  on  seeing 
the  smoke  coming  from  his  nose  threw  a  mug  of  ale  in  his 
face. 

The  same  anecdote  is  also  related  of  others  including 
Tarlton.  He  gives  an  account  of  it  in  his  Jests  IGll.  it  is 
told  in  this  manner : 

"  Tarlton  as  other  gentlemen  used,  at  the  first  coming  up 
of  tobacco,  did  take  it  more  for  fashion's  sake  than  otherwise, 
and  being  in  a  roome,  sat  betweene  two  men  overcome  with 
wine,  and  they  never  seeing  the  like,  wondered  at  it,  and 
seeing  the  vapour  come  out  of  Tarl ton's  nose,  cryed  out, 

*  Fire,  fire !'    and   threw  a  cup  of   wine  in  Tarlton's  face. 

*  Make  no  more  stirre,'  quoth  Tarlton,  '  the  fire  is  quenched ; 
if  the  sheriffs  come,  it  will  turne  a  fine  as  the  custom  is.' 


WEIGHING    SMOKE. 


118  ANECDOTES. 

And  drinking  that  againe,  Tie,'  says  the  otlier:  'what  a 
stinke  it  makes.  I  am  almost  poysoned.'  '  If  it  offend/ 
quoth  Tarlton,  '  let's  every  one  take  a  little  of  the  smell,  and 
80  the  savor  will  quickly  go ;'  but  tobacco  whiflfes  made  them 
leave  him  to  pay  all." 

Rich  gives  the  following  account  of  a  similar  scene  : — 
"I  remember  a  pretty  jest  of  tobacco  which  was  this:  A 
certain  Welchman  coming  newly  to  London,  and  beholding 
one  to  take  tobacco,  never  seeing  the  like  before,  and  not 
knowing  the  manner  of  it,  but  perceiving  him  vent  smoke 
so  fast,  and  supposing  his  inward  parts  to  be  on  fire,  cried 
out,  '  O  Jhesu,  Jhesu  man,  for  the  passion  of  Cod  hold,  for 
by  Cod's  splud  ty  snowt's  on  fire,'  and  having  a  bowle  of 
beere  in  his  hand,  threw  it  at  the  other's  face,  to  quench  his 
smoking  nose." 

The  following  anecdote  is  equally  ludicrous.  Before 
tobacco  was  much  known  in  Germany,  some  soldiers  belong- 
ing to  a  cavalry  regiment  were  quartered  in  a  German  village* 
One  of  them,  a  trumpeter,  happened  to  be  a  negro.  A 
peasant,  who  had  never  seen  a  black  man  before,  and  who 
knew  nothing  about  tobacco,  watched,  though  at  a  safe  dis- 
tance, the  trumpeter,  while  the  latter  groomed  and  fed  his 
horse.  As  soon  as  this  business  was  dispatched,  the  negro 
filled  his  pipe  and  began  to  smoke  it.  Great  had  been  the 
peasant's  bewilderment  before;  great  was  his  terror  now. 
The  terror  reached  an  intolerable  point  when  the  negro  took 
the  pipe  from  his  mouth,  offered  it  to  the  peasant,  and  asked 
him,  in  the  best  language  he  could  command,  to  take  a  whiflf. 
"No,  no  !"  cried  the  peasant,  in  exceeding  alarm ;  "no,  no  I 
Mr.  Devil ;  I  do  not  wish  to  eat  fire.'' 

Henry   Fielding,   in   "  The  Grub  Street  Opera "  written 
about  a  century  ago,  has  the  following  verses  on  Tobacco : — 

"  Let  the  learned  talk  ot  books, 

The  glutton  of  cooks, 
The  lover  of  Celia's  soft  smack — O I 

No  mortal  can  boast 

So  noble  a  toast, 
As  a  pipe  of  accepted  tobacco. 

*'  Let  the  soldier  for  fame, 
And  a  general's  name, 
In  battle  get  many  a  thwack — O ! 


MORE  SONGS.  119 

i' 

Let  who  will  have  most 
Who  will  rule  the  rooste, 
Giro  me  but  a  pipe  of  tobacco. 

"  Tobacco  gives  wit 

To  the  dullest  old  cit, 
And  makes  him  of  politics  crack — O I 

The  lawyers  i'  th'  hall 

Were  not  able  to  bawl, 
Were  it  not  for  a  whiff  of  tobacco. 

"  The  man  whose  chief  glory 

Is  telling  a  story, 
Had  never  arrived  at  the  smack — O I 

Between  every  heying, 

And  as  I  was  saying, 
Did  he  not  take  a  whiff  of  tobacco. 

"  The  doctor  who  places 

Much  skill  in  grimaces, 
And  feels  your  pulse  running  tic  tack — O I 

Would  you  know  his  chief  skill? 

It  is  only  to  fill 
And  smoke  a  good  pipe  of  tobacco. 

"  The  courtiers  alone 

To  this  weed  are  not  prone ; 
Would  you  know  what  'tis  makes  them  so  slack — 0? 

'Twas  because  it  inclined 

To  be  honest  the  mind. 
And  therefore  they  banished  tobacco." 

One  of  the  most  curious  pieces  of  verse  ever  written  on 
to"bacco  is  the  following  by  Southey,  entitled  "  Elegy  on  a 
Quid  of  Tobacco :" — 

"  It  lay  before  me  on  the  close-grazed  grass, 
Beside  my  path,  an  old  tobacco  quid : 
And  shall  I  by  the  mute  adviser  pass 

Without  one  serious  thought?  now  Heaven  forbid f 

•*  Perhaps  some  idle  drunkard  threw  thee  there — 
Some  husband  spendthrift  of  his  weekly  hire ; 
One  who  for  wife  and  children  takes  no  care, 
But  sits  and  tipples  by  the  ale-house  fire. 


120  CURIOUS  VERSES. 

"  Ah !  luckless  was  the  day  he  learned  to  chew ! 
Embryo  of  ills  the  quid  that  pleased  him  first ; 
Thirsty  from  that  unhappy  quid  he  grew, 

Then  to  the  ale-house  went  to  quench  his  thirst. 

"  So  great  events  from  causes  small  arise — 
The  forest  oak  was  once  an  acorn  seed ; 
And  many  a  wretch  from  drunkenness  who  dies, 
Owes  all  his  evils  to  the  Indian  weed. 

*    "  Let  no  temptation,  mortal,  ere  come  nigh ! 
Suspect  some  ambush  in  the  parsley  hid ; 
From  the  first  kiss  of  love  ye  maidens  fly, 
Ye  youths,  avoid  the  first  Tobacco-quid ! 

"  Perhaps  I  wrong  thee,  O  thou  veteran  chaw, 

And  better  thoughts  my  musings  should  engage ; 
That  thou  wert  rounded  in  some  toothless  jaw, 
The  joy,  perhaps  of  solitary  age. 

"  One  who  has  suffered  Fortune's  hardest  knocks. 
Poor,  and  with  none  to  tend  on  his  gray  hairs ; 
Yet  has  a  friend  in  his  Tobacco-box, 

And,  while  he  rolls  his  quid,  forgets  his  cares. 

"Even  so  it  is  with  human  happiness — 

Each  seeks  his  own  according  to  his  whim ; 
One  toils  for  wealth,  one  Fame  alone  can  bless, 
One  asks  a  quid — a  quid  is  all  to  him. 

"  O,  veteran  chaw !  thy  fibres  savory,  strong, 

While  aught  remained  to  chew,  thy  master  chewed, 
Then  cast  thee  here,  when  all  thy  juice  was  gone, 
Emblem  of  selfish  man's  ingratitude ! 

**  0,  happy  man !     O,  cast-off  quid !  is  he 

Who,  like  as  thou,  has  comforted  the  poor ;  ' 
Happy  his  age  who  knows  himself,  like  thee, 
Thou  didst  thy  duty — man  can  do  no  more." 

Another  well  known  song  of  the  Seventeenth  Century  is 
entitled  "  The  Trjnmph  of  Tobacco  over  Sack  and  Ale  :"— 

"  Nay,  soft  by  your  leaves, 

Tobacco  bereaves 
You  both  of  the  garland ;  forbear  it ; 

You  are  two  to  one, 

Yet  tobacco  alone 
Is  like  both  to  win  it,  and  weare  it. 


TRIUMPH  OP  TOBACCO.  121 

Though  many  men  crack, 

Some  of  ale,  some  of  sack, 
And  think  they  have  reason  to  do  it; 

Tobacco  hath  more 

That  will  never  give  o'er 
The  honor  they  do  unto  it. 

Tobacco  engages 

Both  sexes,  all  ages, 
The  poor  as  well  as  the  wealthy ; 

From  the  court  to  the  cottage, 

From  childhood  to  dotage, 
Both  those  that  are  sick  and  the  healthy. 

It  plainly  appears 

That  in  a  few  years 
Tobacco  more  custom  hath  gained. 

Than  sack,  or  than  ale, 

Though  they  double  the  tale 
Of  the  times,  wherein  they  have  reigned. 

And  worthily  too. 

For  what  they  undo 
Tobacco  doth  help  to  regaine. 

On  fairer  conditions 

Than  many  physitians. 
Puts  an  end  to  much  griefe  and  paine ; 

It  helpeth  digestion, 

Of  that  there's  no  question, 
The  gout  and  the  tooth-ache  it  easeth : 

Be  it  early,  or  late, 

'Tis  never  out  of  date, 
He  may-safely  take  it  that  pleaseth. 

Tobacco  prevents 

Infection  by  scents, 
That  hurt  the  brain,  and  are  heady. 

An  antidote  is. 

Before  you're  amisse, 
As  well  as  an  after  remedy. 

The  cold  it  doth  heate, 

Cools  them  that  do  sweate, 
And  them  that  are  fat  maketh  lean : 

The  Imngry  doth  teed. 

And  if  there  be  need. 
Spent  spirits  restoreth  again. 

The  poets  of  old, 

Many  fables  have  told. 
Of  the  gods  and  their  symposia; 

But  tobacco  alone. 

Had  they  known  it,  had  gone 


122  A  GOVERNMENT  MONOPOLY. 

For  their  nectar  and  ambrosia. 

It  is  not  the  smack 

Of  ale  or  of  sack, 
That  can  with  tobacco  compare : 

For  taste  and  for  smell, 

It  beares  away  the  bell 
From  them  both,  wherever  they  are  : 

For  all  their  bravado, 

It  is  Trinidado, 
That  both  their  noses  will  wipe 

Of  the  praises  they  desire, 

Unless  they  conspire 
To  eing  to  the  tune  of  his  pipe. 

The  history  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  tobacco  in  England, 
is  one  of  the  most  interesting  features  connected  with  the 
use  and  cultivation  of  the  plant.  In  Spaiu,  Portugal, 
Germany  and  Holland  the  plant  was  sustained  and  encour- 
aged by  the  throne,  and  royalty  was  the  strongest  and  most 
devoted  defender  it  had.  It  saw  in  the  encouragement 
of  its  use,  an  income  of  revenue  and  a  source  of  profit  far 
greater  than  that  received  from  any  other  product.  Soon 
after  its  cultivation  began  in  France,  Spain,  and  Portugal, 
the  tobacco  trade  was  farmed  out. 

From  its  first  cultivation  in  these  countries  it  has  been  a 
government  monopoly.  In  1753,  the  King  of  Portugal 
farmed  out  the  tobacco  trade,  and  from  that  time  until  now, 
the  annual  amount  received  has  been  one  of  the  principal 
sources  of  revenue  to  the  crown.  In  France,  as  early  as 
1674,  a  monopoly  of  the  trade  was  granted  to  Jean  Breton 
for  six  years,  for  the  sum  of  700,000  francs.  . 

In  1720  the  Indian  Company  paid  for  the  privilege 
1,500,000  francs  per  annum ;  and  in  1771  the  price  was 
increased  to  25,000,000  francs.  Besides  France  there  are 
thirteen  other  European  states  where  the  tobacco  trade  is  a 
government  monopoly,  namely,  Austria,  Spain,  Sicily,  Sar- 
dinia, Poland,  Papal  States,  Portugal,  Tuscany,  Modena, 
Parma,  San  Marino,  Lichtenstein. 

From  the  first  cultivation  of  the  plant,  its  growers  saw  in 
the  tobacco  trade  a  vast  and  constantly  increasing  source  of 


TOBACCO  A  BLESSING.  123 

wealth.  They  doubtless  in  some  measure  comprehended  the 
close  relation  existing  between  it  and  commerce  and  realized 
how  extensive  would  be  its  use. 

From  the  nature  of  the  plant,  it  affords  states  and  nations 
an  opportunity  to  engage  either  in  its  culture  or  commerce 
with  the  prospect  of  the  largest  success.  In  this  respect  it  is 
far  different  from  any  other  tropical  plant,  and  unlike  them 
is  capable  of  being  cultivated  in  portions  of  the  earth  far 
remote  from  the  tropics.  In  Switzerland  and  in  the  Caucas- 
sias  it  attains  to  a  considerable  size,  but  is  nevertheless 
tobacco  although  it  may  possess  but  few  of  the  excellences  of 
some  varieties,  still  it  affords  some  enjoyment  to  the  user, 
from  the  fact  that  it  is  the  Indian  weed.  Fairholt  speaking 
of  the  tobacco  trade  says  : 

"  The  progress  of  the  tobacco  trade  from  the  earliest  intro- 
duction of  the  plant  into  Europe  until  now,  is  certainly  one  of 
the  most  curious  that  commerce  presents.  That  a  plant 
originally  smoked  by  a  few  savages,  should  succeed  in  spite 
of  the  most  stringent  opposition  in  church  and  state,  to  be 
the  cherished  luxury  of  the  whole  civilized  world  ;  to  increase 
with  the  increase  of  time,  and  to  end  in  causing  so  vast  a 
trade,  and  so  large  an  outlay  of  money  ;  is  a  statistical  fact, 
without  an  equal  parallel." 

The  tobacco  plant  notwithstanding  its  fascinating  powers, 
has  suffered  many  romantic  vicissitudes  in  its  fame  and 
character ;  having  been  successively  opposed  and  com- 
mended by  physicians,  condemned  and  eulogized  by  priests, 
vilified  and  venerated  by  kings,  and  alternately  pro- 
scribed and  protected  by  governments,  this  once  insignifi- 
cant production  of  a  little  island  or  an  obscure  district,  has 
succeeded  in  diffusing  itself  throughout  every  clime,  and — 
exhilarating  and  enriching  its  thousands — has  subjected  the 
inhabitants  of  every  country  to  its  dominion.  And  every 
where  it  is  a  source  of  comfort  and  enjoyment;  in  the  highest 
grades  of  civilized  society,  at  the  shrine  of  fashion,  in  the 
depths  of  poverty,  in  the  palace  and  in  the  cottage,  the 
fascinating  influence  of  this  singular  plant  demands  an  equal 
tribute  of  devotion  and  attachment. 


CHAPTER  YI. 

TOBA.CCO-PIPES,  SMOKING   AND    SMOKERS, 


■"} 


HE  implements  used  in  smoking  tobacco,  from  the 
rude  pipe  of  the  Indian  to  the  elaborate  hookah  of 
the  Turk,  show  a  far  greater  variety  than  even  the 
various  species  of  the  tobacco  plant.  The  instru- 
ments used  by  the  Indians  for  inhaling  the  tobacco  smoke 
were  no  less  wonderful  to  Europeans  than  the  plant  itself. 

The  rude  mode  of  inhaling  the  smoke  and  the  intoxication 
produced  by  its  fumes  suggested  to  the  Spaniards  a  better 
method  of  "  taking  tobacco."  Hariot,  however,  found  clay 
pipes  in  use  by  the  Indians  of  Yirginia,  which  though  having 
no  resemblance  to  the  smoking  implements  discovered  by 
Columbus,  seem  to  have  afforded  a  model  for  those  afterward 
manufactured  by  the  Virginia  colony.  The  sailors  of  Colum- 
bus seemed  to  have  first  discovered  cigar,  rather  than  pipe- 
smoking,  inasmuch  as  the  simple  method  used  by  the  natives, 
consisted  of  a  leaf  of  maize,  which  enwrapped  a  few  leaves 
of  the  plant. 

The  next  instruments  discovered  in  use  amgng  the  Indians 
were  straight,  hollow  reeds  and  forked  canes.  Their  mode 
of  use  was  to  place  a  few  leaves  upon  coals  of  fire  and  by 
placing  the  forked  end  in  the  nostrils  and  the  other  upon  the 
smoking  leaves,  to  inhale  the  smoke  until  they  were  stupified 
or  drunken  with  the  fumes.  Their  object  in  inhaling  the 
fumes  of  tobacco  seemed  to  be  to  produce  intoxication  and 
insensibility  rather  than  a  mode  of  enjoyment,  although  the 
enjoyment  with  them  consisted  of  seeing  the  most  remark- 
able visions  when  stupefied  by  its  fumes.     Such  were  the 

124 


INDIAN  PIPES.  125 

modes  of  smoking  among  the  Indians  when  Columbus  planted 
.the  banner  of  Spain  in  America. 

A  writer  in  The  Tobacco  Plant  has  given  a  very  interest- 
ing description  of  Indian  pipes  in  use  among  the  natives  of 
both  North  and  South  America.     He  says : 

"  In  the  tumuli  or  Indian  grave  mounds  of  the  Ohio  and 
Scioto  valleys,  large  quantities  of  pipes  have  been  found, 
bearing  traces  of  Indian  ingenuity.  .  That  their  burial  mounds 
are  of  great  antiquity,  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  trees  several 
centuries  old  are  to  be  found  growing  upon  them.  About 
twenty-five  years  ago,  two  distinguished  archeologists  Squier 
and  Davis — made  extensive  exploration  of  these  mounds,  the 
results  of  which  were  published  in  an  elaborate  memoir  by 
the  Smithsonian  Institution.  The  mounds  indicate  that  an 
immense  amount  of  labor  has  been  expended  upon  them,  as 
the  earthworks  and  mounds  may  be  counted  by  thousands, 
requiring  either  long  time  or  an  immense  population ;  and 
there  is  much  probability  in  the  supposition  of  Sir  John  Lub- 
bock that  these  parts  of  America  were  once  inhabited  by  a  num- 
erous and  agricultural  population.  It  may  be  asked,  have  the 
races  who  erected  these  extensive  mounds  become  extinct,  or 
do  they  exist  in  the  poor  uncivilized  tribes  of  Indians  whom 
Europeans  found  inhabiting  the  river  valleys  of  Ohio  and 
Illinois  \  Many  of  these  mounds  are  in  the  form  of  serpents 
and  symbolic  figures,  and  were  evidently  related  to  the 
sacrificial  worship  of  the  mound  builders,'" 

Squier  and  Davis  are  of  the  opinion  that : — 

"  The  mound  builders  were  inveterate  smokers,  if  the  great 
numbers  of  pipes  discovered  in  the  mounds  be  admitted  as 
evidence  of  the  fact.  These  constitute  not  only  a  numerous^ 
but  a  singularly  interesting  class  of  remains.  In  their  con- 
struction the  skill  of  the  maker  seems  to  have  been  exhausted. 
Their  general  form,  which  may  be  regarded  as  the  primitive 
form  of  the  implement,  is  well  exhibited  in  the  accompany- 
ing sketch.  They  are  always  carved  from  a  single  piece,  and 
consist  of  a  flat  carved  bore  of  variable  length  and  width, 
with  the  bowl  rising  from  the  centre  of  the  convex  side. 
From  one  of  the  ends,  and  communicating  with  the  hollow 
of  the  bowl,  is  drilled  a  small  hole,  which  answers  the  pur- 
pose of  a  tube ;  the  corresponding  opposite  division  being 
left  for  the  manifest  purpose  of  holding  the  implement  to 
the  mouth. 

"The  specimen  here  represented  is  finely  carved  from  a 


126  MATERIAL  FOR  PIPES. 

beautiful  variety  of  brown  porphyry,  granulated  with  various- 
colored  materials,  the  whole  much  changed  by  the  action  of 
fire,  and  somewhat  resembling  porcelain.  It  is  intensely 
hard,  and  successfully  resists  the  edge  of  the  finest-tempered 

knife.  The  length  of  the 
base  is  five  inches ;  breadth 
of  the  same  one  inch  and  a- 
quarter.  The  bowl  is  one 
inch  and  a-quarter  high, 
slightly  tapering  upwards, 
bnt  flaring  near  the  top.  The 
hollow  of  the  bowl  is  six- 
iNDiAN  PiPK.  ^gj^^j^g  ^f  ^^  ^^^Yi  in  diameter. 

The  perforation  answering  to  the  tube  is  one-sixth  of  an 
inch  in  diameter,  which  is  about  the  usual  size.  This  cir- 
cumstance places  it  beyond  doubt  that  the  mouth  was  applied 
directly  to  the  implement,  without  the  intervention  of  a 
tube  of  wood  or  metal." 

This  is  an  account  of  a  simple  pipe,  with  a  small  bowl ;  but 
most  of  the  pipes  found  in  the  mounds  are  highly  ornamented 
with  elaborate  workmanship,  representing  animals  such  as 
the  beaver,  otter,  bear,  wolf,  panther,  raccoon,  squirrel,  wild- 
cat, manotee,  eagle,  hawk,  heron,  swallow,  paroquet,  etc. 
One  of  the  most  interesting  of  the  spirited  sculptures  of 
animal  forms  to  be  found  on  the  mound  pipes,  is  the  repre- 
sentation of  the  Lamantin,  or  Manotee,  a  cetacean  found  only 
in  tropical  waters,  and  the  nearest  place  which  they  at 
present  frequent  is  the  coast  of  Florida — at  least  a  thousand 
miles  away.  According  to  Sir  John  Lubbock,  these  are  no 
rude  sculptures,  for  the  characteristics  of  the  animal  are  all 
distinctly  marked,  rendering  its  recognition  complete.  Many 
modern  Indians  are  possessed  of  a  wonderful  aptitude  for 
sculpture,  and  they  appear  to  gladly  exchange  their  work  for 
the  necessaries  of  life. 

The  material  most  prized  for  the  purpose  of  pipe-making 
is  the  beautiful  red  pipe-stone  of  the  Coteau  des  Prairies, 
which  is  an  indurated  aluminous  stone,  highly  colored  with 
red  oxide  of  iron.  It  is  frequently  called  "  Catlinite,"  out  of 
compliment  to  George  Catlin,  the  distinguished  collector  of 
Indian  traditions,  who  claims  to  be  the  first  European  that 


LEGEND  OP  THE  RED  PIPE.  127 

ever  visited  the  Red  Pipe-stone  Quarry,  wliicli  is  situated 
amongst  the  upper  waters  of  Missouri.  Catlin  gives  the 
following  legend  as  the  Indian  version  of  the  birth  of  the 
mysterious  red  pipe : — 

"  The  Great  Spirit,  at  an  ancient  period,  here  called  together 
the  Indian  warriors,  and  standing  on  the  precipice  of  the 
red  pipe-stone  rock,  broke  from  its  wall  a  piece,  and  made 
a  huge  pipe  by  turning  it  in  his  hand,  which  he  smoked  over 
them,  and  to  the  north,  the  south,  the  east  and  the  west ; 
and  told  them  that  this  stone  was  red,  that  it  was  their  flesh, 
that  they  must  use  it  for  their  pipes  of  peace,  that  it  belonged 
to  them  all,  and  that  the  war  club  and  tlie  scalping  knife 
must  not  be  raised  on  its  ground.  At  the  last  whifi'  of  his 
pipe  his  head  went  into  a  great  cloud,  and  the  whole  surface 
of  the  rock  for  several  miles  was  melted  and  glazed.  Two 
great  ovens  were  opened  beneath,  and  two  women,  guardian 
spirits  of  the  place,  entered  them  in  a  blaze  of  fire,  and  they 
are  heard  there  yet,  answering  to  the  invocations  of  the 
priests  and  medicine-men." 

At  the  pipe-stone  quarry  there  is  a  row  of  five  huge, 
granite  boulders,  which  the  Indians  regard  with  great 
reverence,  and  when  they  visit  the  spot  to  secure  some  red 
stone  to  make  pipes,  they  seek  to  propitiate  the  guardian 
spirits  by  throwing  plugs  of  Tobacco  to  them.  Some  admi- 
rable pieces  of  pipe-sculpture  are  produced  by  the  Boheen 
Indians,  who  are  found  on  the  coast  of  the  Pacific  to  the  south 
of  the  Russians.  These  pipes  are  made  from  a  soft  blue  clay 
stone  which  is  found  only  in  slabs,  and  the  sculptures  are 
wrought  on  both  sides,  the  pipes  being  generally  covered  with 
singular  groups  of  human  and  animal  forms,  grotesquely 
intermingled. 

The  Chippewas  are  also  celebrated  for  their  pipes,  which 
are  cut  out  of  a  close-grained  stone  of  a  dark  color;  and  Pro- 
fessor "Wilson,  of  Toronto,  states  that  Pobahmesad,  or  the 
Plier,  one  of  the  famed  pipe-sculptors,  resides  on  the  Great 
Manitoulin  Island  in  Lake  Huron.  The  old  Chippewa  has 
never  deviated  from  the  faith  of  his  fathers,  as  he  still  adheres 
to  all  their  rites  and  ceremonies.  He  uses  the  red  pipe-stone 
and  other  materials  in  the  production  of  his  pipes,  which  are 
ingenious  specimens  of  sculpture.     The  calumet,  or  pipe  of 


128  CHIPPEWA  PIPES. 

peace,  is  still  an  object  of  special  reverence  with  tlie  Indian 
tribes,  and  the  pipe-stem  is  ornamented  with  six  or  eight  eagle's 


SCULPTURED   PIPE. 


feathers.  Each  tribe  has  an  official  who  takes  charge  of  the 
calmnet,  which  he  keeps  rolled  up  in  a  bearskin  robe ;  and 
it's  never  exposed  to  view  or  used,  except  when  the  chief 
enters  into  a  treaty  with  some  neighboring  chief.  On  these 
occasions  the  pipe  is  taken  out  of  its  covering  by  the  Indian 
dignitary,  ready  charged  with  the  "  holy  weed,"  when  it  is 
smoked  by  all  the  chiefs,  each  one  taking  only  a  single  breath 
of  smoke,  which  is  regarded  as  implementing  the  treaty. 
The  pipe  is  then  rolled  up  in  its  robe  of  fur,  and  stowed 
away  in  the  lodge  of  its  keeper  until  it  is  again  required. 
The  war  pipe  is  simply  a  tomahawk,  with  a  perforated  handle 
communicating  with  the  bowl,  which  is  opposite  the  sharp 
edge  of  the  weapon.  When  the  Indians  joined  the  British 
as  allies  during  the  American  war,  they  had  to  be  supplied 
with  iron  tomahawks  of  the  native  pattern,  before  they 
could  enter  the  field  as  allies. 

Many  tribes  of  Indians  use  herbs  of  various  kinds  to  mix 
with  tobacco  to  reduce  its  strength,  as  they  are  in  the  habit 
of  exhaling  the  smoke  from  the  nostrils,  and  not  from  the 
mouth.  By  the  adoption  of  this  means  a  much  smaller 
quantity  of  tobacco  suffices  to  produce  the  soothing  influence 
on  the  nervous  system  so  well  known  to  votaries  of  the  weed. 

Longfellow,  in  his  great  Indian  epic  of  the  Song  of  Hiawa- 
tha, has  portrayed  with  graphic  power  in  pleasing  verse  the 
mysterious  legends  describing  the  birth  or  institution  of  the 
peace-pipe  by  Gitche  Manito,  "  The  Master  of  Life ; "  and  a 
few  extracts  from  "  Hiawatha  "  may  be  interesting  to  illus- 


"  HIAWATHA."  129 

trate  the  deep  significance  of  the  ideas  which  the  Indian  holds 
regarding  liis  relations  to  the  Great  Spirit  of  the  Universe, 
and  of  the  esteem  with  which  he  views  the  peace-pipe,  which 
in  the  words  of  Catliu  "has  shed  its  thriUing  fumes  over 
the  land,  and  soothed  the  f  iirj  of  the  relentless  savage." 
Longfellow,  in  the  opening  of  his  poem,  says : — 

"Ye  wliose  hearts  are  fresh  and  simple, 
Who  have  faith  in  God  and  Nature, 
Who  believe  that  in  all  ages 
Every  liuman  heart  is  human, 
That  in  even  savage  bosoms 
There  are  longings,  yearnings,  strivings, 
For  the  good  they  comprehend  not, 
That  the  feeble  hands  and  helpless, 
Groping  blindly  in  the  darkness, 
Touch  God's  right  hand  in  that  darkness 
And  are  lifted  up  and  strengthened; — 
Listen  to  this  simple  stor}', 
To  the  song  of  Hiawatha. 

He  then  describes  the  making  of  the  pipe  from  the  great 
Eed  Pipe-Stone  Quarry,  as  follows  : — 

"  On  the  Mountains  of  the  Prairie, 
On  the  great  Red  Pipe- Stone  Quarry, 
Gitche  Manito,  the  mighty. 
He  the  Master  of  Life,  descending, 
On  the  red  crags  of  the  quarry 
Stood  erect,  and  called  the  nations, 
Called  the  tribes  of  men  together. 
From  his  foot-prints  flowed  a  river, 
Leaped  into  the  light  of  morning, 
O'er  the  precipice  plunging  downward 
Gleamed  like  Ishkoodah,  the  comet. 
And  the  Spirit  stooping  earthward, 
With  his  finger  on  the  meadow 
Traced  a  winding  pathway  for  it, 
Saying  to  it,  '  Run  in  this  way !' 

"  From  the  red  stone  of  the  quarry 
With  his  hand  he  broke  a  fragment. 
Moulded  it  into  a  pipe-head. 
Shaped  and  fashioned  it  with  figures ; 
From  the  margin  of  the  river 

9 


130  MAKING  THE  "  PEACE-PIPES." 

Took  a  long  reed  for  a  pipe-stem, 
With  its  dark  green  leaves  upon  it ; 
Filled  the  pipe  with  bark  of  willow ; 
With  the  bark  of  the  red  willow ; 
Breathed  upon  the  neighboring  forest, 
Made  its  great  boughs  chafe  together, 
Till  in  flame  they  burst  and  kindled ; 
And  erect  upon  the  mountains, 
Gitche  Manito,  the  mighty, 
Smoked  the  calumet,  the  Peaoe-Pipe, 
As  a  signal  to  the  nations." 


PIPE    OF    PEACE. 


The  next  verses  describe  the  assembling  of  the  nations  at 
the  call  of  Gitche  Manito,  who  proceeds  to  speak  to  his 
children  words  of  wisdom  and  announces  that  he : 

*'  '  Will  send  a  prophet  to  you, 
A  Deliverer  of  the  nations. 
Who  shall  guide  you  and  shall  teach  you, 
Who  shall  toil  and  suffer  with  you. 
So  j'ou  listen  to  his  counsels, 
You  will  multiply  and  prosper  ; 
If  his  warnings  pass  unheeded. 
You  will  fade  away  and  perish  ! 

"  '  Bathe  now  in  the  stream  before  you, 
Wash  the  war-paint  from  your  faces, 
Wash  the  blood-stains  from  your  fingers, 
Bury  your  war-clubs  and  your  weapons, 
Break  the  red  stone  from  this  quarry. 
Mould  and  make  it  into  Peace-Pipes, 
Take  the  reeds  that  grow  beside  you, 
Deck  them  with  your  highest  feathers, 


SOUTH  AMERICAN  PIPES.  131 

Smoke  the  calumet  together, 
And  as  brothers  live  henceforward !' 
*  *  *  m 

"  And  in  silence  all  the  warriors 
Broke  the  red  stone  of  the  quarry, 
Smoothed  and  formed  it  into  Peace-Pipes, 
Broke  the  long  reeds  by  the  river. 
Decked  thera  with  their  brightest  feathers, 
And  departed  each  one  homeward, 
While  the  Master  of  Life,  ascending 
Through  the  opening  of  cloud  curtains. 
Through  the  doorways  of  the  heavens. 
Vanished  from  before  their  faces, 
In  the  smoke  that  rolled  around  him. 
The  Pukwana  of  the  Peace-Pipe !" 

Along  the  nortliern  parts  of  America,  are  to  be  found  the 
Esquimaux  popuhition,  estimated  to  number  about  60,000. 

They  are  votaries  of  the  weed,  making  their  pipes  either 
out  of  driftwood,  or  of  the  bones  of  animals  they  have  used 
for  food. 

Tobacco  is  found  growing  along  the  whole  western  sea- 
board of  South  America  until  we  reach  the  northern  bound- 
aries of  Patagonia.  Far  inland  on  the  banks  of  the  Amazon, 
Kio  l^iger,  and  other  great  rivers,  the  weed  has  been  found 
in  luxurious  abundance,  with  a  delightful  fragrance. 

Stephens,  in  his  "  Travels  in  Central  America,"  says  that 
*'  the  ladies  of  Central  America  generally  smoke — the  mar- 
ried using  tobacco,  and  the  unmarried,  cigars  formed  of  selected 
tobacco  rolled  in  paper  or  rice  straw.  Every  gentleman 
carries  in  his  pocket  a  silver  case,  with  a  long  string  of  cotton, 
steel  and  flint,  and  one  of  the  offices  of  gallantry  is  to  strike 
a  light.  By  doing  it  well,  he  may  help  to  kindle  a  flame  in 
a  lady's  heart ;  at  all  events,  to  do  it  bunglingly  would  be 
ill-bred.  I  M'ill  not  express  my  sentiments  on  smoking  as  a 
custom  for  the  sex.  I  have  recollections  of  beauteous  lips 
profaned.  Nevertheless,  even  in  this  I  have  seen  a  lady 
show  her  prettiness  and  refinement,  barely  touching  the 
straw  on  lier  lips,  as  it  were  kissing  it  gently  and  taking  it 
away.  When  a  gentleman  asks  a  lady  for  a  light,  she  always 
removes  the  cigar  from  her  lips." 

The  Rev.  Canon  Kingsley,  in  liis  fascinating  novel  of 
*'  Westward  Ho !  "  has  some  quaint  remarks  on  the  method 


132 


CIGARETTES. 


I'llli 


(//'/, 


i^m 


of  smoking  described  by  Lionel  "Wafer, 
surgeon  to  Dampier,  which  are  well  worth 
quoting.  He  says,  "  When  they,  (the 
Darien  Indians,)  will  deliberate  on  war 
or  policy,  they  sit  round  in  the  hut  of 
the  chief ;  where  being  placed,  enter  to 
them  a  small  boy  with  a  cigarro  of  the 
bigness  of  a  rolling-pin,  and  puffs  the 
smoke  thereof  into  the  face  of  each  war- 
rior, from  the  eldest  to  the  youngest ; 
while  they,  putting  their  hands  funnel- 
wise  round  their  months,  draw  into  the 
sinuosities  of  the  brain  that  more  than 
Delphic  vapor  of  prophecy ;  which  boy 
presently  falls  down  in  a  swoon,  and 
being  dragged  out  by  the  heels  and  laid 
by  to  sober,  enter  another  to  puff  at  the 
sacred  cigarro,  till  he  is  dragged  out  like- 
wise, and  so  on  till  the  Tobacco  is  fin- 
ished, and  the  seed  of  wisdom  has  sprouted 
in  every  soul  into  the  tree  of  meditation, 
bearing  the  flower  of  eloquence,  and  in 
due  time  the  fruit  of  valiant  action." 
Tobacco  in  the  form  of  cigarettes,  is 
extensively  used  by  the  inhabitants  of 
Nicaragua,  Guiana,  and  the  dwellers  on 
the  banks  of  the  Orinoco,  and  the  use 
of  the  weed  is  not  confined  to  the  male 
sex,  but  is  freely  used  both  by  the  female 
and  juvenile  portions  of  the  community. 
Mr.  Squier,  in  his  "  Travels  in  Nicara- 
gua," states  that  the  dress  of  the  young 
urchins  consists  mainly  of  a  straw  hat 
and  a  cigar — the  cigar  when  not  in  use 
being  stuck  behind  the  ear,  in  the  man- 
ner in  which  our  clerks  place  their  pens. 
The  natives  of  Guiana  use  a  tube  or 
pipe  not  unlike  a  cheroot,  made  from 
the  rind  of  the  fruit  of  a  species  of  palm. 
This  curious  pipe  is  called   a  "  Winna," 


TOBACCO  ON  THE  AMAZON  RIVER.  133 

and  the  hollow  is  filled  with  tobacco,  the  smoking  of  which 
affords  much  enjoyment  to  the  denizens  of  the  swampy 
regions  of  Guiana. 

Mr,  Cooke,  in  "  The  Seven  Sisters  of  Sleep,"  states  that  a 
tube  much  resembling  the  "  Winna  "  of  Guiana  was  some 
years  ago  to  be  met  with  in  the  Tobacconists'  Shops  in 
London.  The  Indian  dwelling  in  the  dense  forests  in  the 
region  of  Orinoco  has  found  that  tobacco  is  an  excellent 
solace  to  relieve  the  monotony  of  his  life;  he  uses 
it  "not  only  to  procure  an  afternoon  nap,  but  also  to 
induce  a  state  of  quiescence  which  they  call  dreaming  with 
their  eyes  open."  We  find  from  voyagers  up  the  Amazon, 
that  smoking  prevails  not  merely  amongst  the  natives  inhabit- 
ing the  regions  which  skirt  that  great  river,  but  also  amongst 
the  people  on  the  banks  of  its  numerous  tributaries.  Mr. 
Bates  the  distinguished  Naturalist,  when  making  researches 
far  up  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Amazon,  found  tobacco 
extensively  cultivated,  and  some  distinguished  makers  of 
cigarettes.  One  maker,  Joan  Triuidade,  was  noted  for  his 
Tobacco  and  Tauri  cigarettes.  This  cigar  is  so  named  from 
the  bark  in  which  the  tobacco  is  rolled.  Some  of  the  tribes 
inhabiting  the  district  of  the  lower  Amazon  indulge  in  snuff- 
taking.  This  snuff  is  not  made  from  tobacco,  it  is  the  produce 
of  a  plant  of  the  leguminous  order,  the  seeds  being  carefully 
collected  and  thoroughly  dried  in  the  sun  before  they  are 
pounded  in  a  mortar,  when  the  powder  is  ready  for  use. 
The  snuff-making  season  is  quite  an  event  in  a  Brazilian 
village,  the  week  or  so  during  which  it  lasts  forming  a  kind 
of  religious  festival  mingled  with  a  good  deal  of  indulgence 
in  fermented  liquors,  chiefly  of  native  origin. 

Humboldt,  when  traveling  in  South  America,  found  in  use 
among  the  Ottomac  Indians  a  powder  called  Niopo,  or  "  In- 
dian snuff."  Isiopo  is  a  powerful  stimulant,  a  small  portion 
of  it  producing  violent  sneezing  in  persons  unaccustomed  to 
its  use.  Father  Gumilla  says  : — "This  diabolical  powder  of 
the  Ottomacs,  furnished  by  an  adolescent  tobacco  plant, 
intoxicates   them    through    the    nostrils,  deprives   them  of 


134:  BRAZILIAN  TOBACCO. 

reason  for  some  hours,  and  renders  them  furious  in  battle." 
Humboldt,  however,  has  shown  that  this  stimulating  snufF  is 
not  the  product  of  the  tobacco  plant,  but  of  a  species  of  acacia, 
Niopo  being  made  from  the  pods  of  the  plant  after  tliey  have 
undergone  a  process  of  fermentation.  Captain  Burton,  when 
traveling  in  the  Highlands  of  Brazil,  found  the  tobacco  plant 
growing  spontaneously,  which  made  him  conclude  that  it  is 
indio;enous  to  Brazil.  He  found  the  "  Aromatic  Brazilian  " 
a  kind  of  tobacco  with  thin  leaves  and  a  pink  flower,  which  is 
"  much  admired  in  the  United  States,  and  there  found  to  lose 
its  aroma  after  the  second  year."  It  is  usually  asserted  that 
the  tobacco  grown  in  Brazil  contains  only  two  per  cent,  of 
nicotine,  but  Captain  Burton  is  disposed  to  doubt  this,  as  he 
states  that  some  varieties  of  the  "  holy  herb  "  grown  at  Sa'a' 
Paulo  and  Nimos  suggests  a  larger  proportion.  In  the  small 
towns  in  the  Highlands  of  Brazil,  Captain  Burton  found  that 
excellent  cigars,  better  than  many  "  Havannas,"  were  retailed 
at  a  halfpenny  each.  In  La  Plata,  Paraguay,  and  other 
countries  to  the  south  of  Brazil,  nearly  every  person  smokes, 
and  an  American  traveler  quoted  by  Mr.  Cooke  states  that 
women  and  girls  above  thirteen  years  of  age  use  the  weed  in 
the  form  of  quids.  A  magnificent  Hebe,  arrayed  in  satin  and 
flashing  in  diamonds,  "puts  you  back  with  one  delicate  handy 
while  with  the  fair  taper  fingers  of  the  other  she  takes  the 
tobacco  out  of  her  mouth  previous  to  your  saluting  her."  A 
European  visiting  Paraguay  for  the  first  time  is  rather  aston- 
ished at  the  conduct  of  the  fair  beauty,  but  such  is  the  force 
of  custom  that  the  squcamishness  of  the  new-comer  is  soon 
overcome,  when  he  finds  that  he  has  to  kiss  every  lady  to 
whom  he  is  introduced  ;  and  the  traveler  says  that  "  one  half 
of  those  you  meet  are  really  tempting  enough  to  render  you 
reckless  of  consequences." 

Smoking  is  practised  by  the  natives  of  Patagonia,  who  are 
a  tall  and  muscular  class  of  men,  though  not  such  giants  as 
represented  by  the  early  voyagers.  Hutchinson,  in  a  valua- 
ble paper  on  the  Indians  of  South  America  has  an  account 
of  the  Pehuenches,  one  of  the  principal  tribes  of  Patfigonia, 


PATAGONIANS  AS  SMOKERS. 


135 


in  •which  he  states  that  "  tlieir  chief  indulgence  is  smoldno-. 
The  native  pipes  are  fabricated  out  of  a  piece  of  stone, 
ftishioned  into  the  shape  of  a  bowl,  into  which  is  inserted  a 
long  brass  tube.  The  latter  is  obtained  by  barter  at  Bohia 
Elanca.  The  tobacco  in  the  bowl  being  lighted,  each  man  of 
a  party  takes  a  suck  at  the  pipe  in  his  turn."  Tilston,  who 
witnessed  the  operation,  describes  it  as  a  most  ludicrous  one. 
"  The  smoker  gives  a  pull  at  the  pipe,  gulping  in  a  quantity 
of  Tobacco  vapour,  the  cubic  measurement  of  which  my 
informant  would  be  afraid  to  guess  at.  All  the  muscles  of 
the  body  seem  in  a  temporary  convulsion  whilst  it  is  being 
taken  in,  and  the  neighbour  to  whom  the  pipe  is  transferi-ed 
follows  suit  by  inhaling  as  if  he  were  trying  to  swallow  down 
brass  tube,  bowl,  Tobacco,  fire,  and  all.  Meanwhile,  there 
issues  from  the  nose  and  mouth  of  the  previous  smoker  such 
a  cumulus  of  cloud  as  for  a  few  seconds  to  render  his  face 
quite  invisible."  Tobacco  is  more  used  in  Chili  than  in  the 
other  countries  on  the  Pacific  side  of  South  America ;  this  is 
owing  to  the  extensive  use  of  the  leaves  of  the  Cocoa  plant  as 
a  narcotic  by  the  natives  of  Bolivia,  Peru,  and  Colombia. 

We  refrain  from  enlarging  on  the  nature  and  use  of  this 
narcotic,  as  on  some  future  occasion  we  may  take  an  oppor- 
tunity of  making  some  observations  on  Cocoa,  which  according 
to  Jonson,  holds  an  undisputed  sway  over  some   seven  or 


SOUTH    AMERICANS    SMOKING. 


eight  millions  of  the  inhabitants  of  South  America.  The 
Indians  formerly  inhabiting  the  high  table-lands  of  what  is 
now  called  Peru  and  Bolivia  appear  prior  to  the  invasion  of 


136  FORM  AND  MATERIAL. 

the  Spaniards  to  have  been  much  further  advanced  in 
civilization  than  the  races  occupying  the  otlier  portions  of 
South  America ;  and  there  is  a  strong  probability  that  thej 
are  of  a  different  origin  from  the  races  occupying  Chili, 
Patagonia,  Brazil,  and  the  great  district  washed  by  the  waters 
of  the  "West  Indian  Sea.  Science  as  yet  cannot  give  any- 
thing like  an  accurate  idea  of  the  time  man  has  existed  in 
these  widely-diversified  countries,  but  we  cannot  go  wrong 
in  accepting  the  statement  of  Darwin,  who  observes  that  "  we 
must  admit  that  man  has  inhabited  South  America  for  an 
immensely  long  period,  inasmuch  as  any  change  in  climate, 
effected  by  the  elevation  of  the  land  must  have  been 
extremely  gradual." 

Another  writer  says  of  the  pipes  of  the  Indians  of  North 
America : 

"Great  variety  of  form  and  material  distinguishes  the 
pipes  of  the  modern  Indians ;  arising  in  part  from  the 
local  facilities  they  possess  for  a  suitable  material  from  which 
to  construct  them  ;  and  in  part  also  from  the  special  style  of 
art  and  decoration  which  has  become  the  traditional  usage  of 
the  tribes.  The  favorite  red  pipe-stone  of  the  Coteau  des 
Prairies,  has  been  generally  sought  after,  both  from  its 
easiness  of  working  and  the  beauty  of  its  appearance.  A 
pipe  of  this  favorite  and  beautiful  material,  found  on  the 
shores  of  Lake  Siracoe,  and  now  in  my  possession,  measures 
five  inches  and  three-quarters  in  length,  and  nearly  four 
inches  in  greatest  breadth,  yet  the  capacity  of  the  bowl 
hollowed  in  it  for  the  reception  of  tobacco  is  even  less  than 
in  the  smallest  of  the  "  Elfin  Pipes."  In  contrast  to  this,  a 
modern  Winnebago  pipe  recently  acquired  by  me,  made  of  the 
same  red  pipe-stone,  inlaid  with  lead,  and  executed  with 
ingenious  skill,  has  a  bowl  of  large  dimensions  illustrative  of 
Indian  smoking  usages  modified  by  the  influence  of  the 
white  man.  From  the  red  pipe-stone,  as  well  as  from  the 
lime  stone  and  other  harder  rocks,  the  Chippeways,  the 
Winnebagos,  and  the  Sioux,  frequently  make  a  peculiar  class 
of  pipes,  inlaid  with  lead. 

"  The  Chincok  and  Puget  Sound  Indians,  who  evince 
little  taste  in  comparison  with  the  tribes  surrounding  them, 
in  ornamenting  their  persons  or  their  warlike  and  domestic 
implements,  commonly  use  wooden  pipes.  Sometimes  these 
are  elaborately  carved,  but  most  frequently  they  are  rudelj 


MORE  INDIAN  PIPES.  137 

and  hastily  made  for  immediate  use;  and  even  among  these 
remote  tribes  of  the  flat  head  Indians,  the  common  clay  pipe 
of  the  fur  trader  begins  to  supersede  such  native  arts.  Among 
the  Assinaboin  Indians  a  material  is  used  in  pipe  manufac- 
ture altogether  peculiar  to  them.  It  is  a  fine  marble,  much  too 
hard  to  admit  of  minute  carving,  but  taking  a  high  polish. 
This  is  cut  into  pipes  of  graceful  form,  and  made  so  extremely 
thin,  as  to  be  almost  transparent,  so  that  when  lighted  the 
glowing  tobacco  shines  through,  and  presents  a  singular 
appearance  when  in  use  at  night  or  in  a  dark  lodge. 
Another  favorite  material  employed  by  the  Assinaboin 
Indians  is  a  coarse  species  of  jasper  also  too  hard  to  admit  of 
elaborate  ornamentation." 

This  also  is  cut  into  various  simple  but  tasteful  designs, 
executed  chiefly  by  the  slow  and  laborious  process  of  rub- 
bing it  down  with  other  stones.  The  choice  of  the  material 
for  fashioning  the  favorite  pipe  is  by  no  means  invariably 
guided  by  the  facilities  which  the  location  of  the  tribe 
affords.  A  suitable  stone  for  such  a  purpose  will  be  picked 
up  and  carried  hundreds  of  miles.  Mr.  Kane  informs  me 
that,  in  coming  down  the  Athabaska  River,  when  drawing 
near  its  source  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  he  observed  his 
Assinaboin  guides  select  the  favorite  bluish  jasper  from 
among  the  water-worn  stones  in  the  bed  of  the  river,  to  carry 
home  for  the  purpose  of  pipe  manufacture,  although  they 
were  then  fully  five  hundred  miles  from  their  lodges.  Such 
a  traditional  adherence  to  a  choice  of  material  peculiar  to  a 
remote  so""ce,  may  frequently  prove  of  considerable  value  as 
a  clue  to  former  migrations  of  the  tribes.  Both  the  Cree 
and  the  Winnebago  Indians  carve  pipes  in  stone  of  a  form 
now  more  frequently  met  with  in  tlie  Indian  curiosity  stores 
of  Canada  and  the  States  than  any  other  specimens  of  native 
carving.  The  tube,  cut  at  a  sharp  right  angle  with  the  cylin- 
drical bowl  of  the  pipe,  is  ornamented  with  a  thin  vandyked 
ridge,  generally  perforated  with  a  row  of  holes,  and  standing 
up  somewhat  like  the  dorsal  fin  of  a  fish.  The  Winnebagos 
also  manufacture  pipes  of  the  same  form,  but  of  a  smaller 
size,  in  lead,  with  considerable  skill. 

Among  the  Cree  Indians  a  double  pipe  is  occasionally  in 


138  PIPE  OF  THE  BOBEEN  INDIANS. 

use,  consisting  of  a  bowl  carved  out  of  stone  without  mucli 
attempt  at  ornament,  but  with  perforations  on  two  sides,  so 
that  two  smokers  can  insert  their  pipe-stems  at  once,  and 
enjoy  the  same  supply  of  tobacco.  It  does  not  appear,  how- 
ever, that  any  special  significance  is  attached  to  this  singular 
fancy.  The  Saiiltaux  Indians,  a  branch  of  the  great  Algon- 
quin nation,  also  carve  their  pipes  out  of  a  black  stone  found 
in  their  country,  and  evince  considerable  skill  in  the  execu- 
tion of  their  elaborate  details.  But  the  most  remarkable  of 
all  the  specimens  of  pipe  sculpture  executed  by  the  Indians 
of  the  north-west  are  those  carved  by  the  Bobeen,  or  Big-lip 
Indians, — so  called  from  the  singular  deformity  they  produce 
by  inserting  a  piece  of  wood  into  a  slit  made  in  the 
lower  lip. 

The  Bobeen  Indians  are  found  along  the  Pacific  coast, 
about  latitude  54°,  40',  and  extend  from  the  borders  of  the 
Russian  dominions  eastward  nearly  to  Frazer  River.  The 
pipes  of  the  Bobeen,  and  also  of  the  Clalam  Indians,  occu- 
pying the  neighboring  Vancouver's  Island,  are  carved  with 
the  utmost  elaborateness  and  in  the  most  singular  and  gro- 
tesque devices,  from  a  soft  blue  clay-stone  or  slate.  Their 
form  is  in  part  determined  by  the  material,  which  is  only 
procurable  in  thin  slabs,  so  tbat  the  sculptures,  wrought  on 
both  sides,  present  a  sort  of  double  bas-relief.  From  this, 
singular  and  grotesque  groups  are  carved  without  any  appa- 
rent reference  to  the  final  destination  of  the  whol "  as  a  pipe. 
The  lower  side  is  generally  a  straight  line,  and  in  the  speci- 
mens I  have  examined  they  measure  from  two  or  three  to 
fifteen  inches  long;  so  that  in  these  the  pipe-stem  is  included. 
A  small  hollow  is  carved  out  of  some  protruding  ornament 
to  serve  as  the  bowl  of  the  pipe,  and  from  the  further  end  a 
perforation  is  drilled  to  connect  with  this.  The  only  addition 
made  to  it  when  in  use  is  the  insertion  of  a  quill  or  straw  as 
a  mouth-piece.  The  Indians  have  both  war  and  peace 
pipes. 

The  War  pipe  is  a  true  tomahawk  of  ordinary  size  with  a 
perforated  handle  the  tobacco  being  placed  in  the  receptacle 


THE  WAR  PIPE. 


139 


A    WAR    PIPE. 


above  the  hatchet  the  handle  serving  as  a  pipe-stem  and  iTsed 
for  either  pipe  or  tomahawk.  Many  varieties  of  Indian 
Pipes  have  been 
found  not  only  in 
the  "Western  and 
Southern  mounds 
but  in  Mexico  and 
Central  America. 
Fine  specimens  are 
found  in  Florida 
and  some  elabo- 
rately carved  have 
been  unearthed  in 
Virginia,  Wilson 
Bays  of  the  pipes 
used  by  the  Indians :  "  The  pipe  stem  is  one  of  the  charac- 
teristics of  modern  race,  if  not  distinctive  of  the  Northern 
tribes  of  Indians."  In  alluding  to  the  pipes  more  particularly 
he  says :  "  Specimens  of  another  class  of  clay  pipes  of  a  larger 
Bize,  and  with  a  tube  of  such  length  as  obviously  to  be 
designed  for  use  without  the  addition  of  a  "pipe-stem," 
most  of  the  ancient  clay  pipes  that  have  been  discovered  are 
stated  to  have  the  same  form ;  and  this,  it  may  be  noted, 
bears  so  near  a  resemblance  to  that  of  the  red  clay  pipe  used 
in  modern  Turkey,  with  the  cherry-tree  pipe  stem,  that  it 
might  be  supposed  to  have  furnislied  the  model. 

The  bowls  of  this  class  of  ancient  clay  pipes  are  n.ot  of 
the  miniature  proportions  which  induce  a  comparison  between 
those  of  Canada  and  the  early  examples  found  in  Britain ; 
neither  do  the  stone  pipe-heads  of  the  mound-builders  suggest 
by  the  size  of  the  bowl  either  the  self-denying  economy  of 
the  ancient  smoker,  or  his  practice  of  the  modern  Indian 
mode  of  exhaling  the  fumes  of  the  tobacco,  by  which  so 
small  a  quantity  suffices  to  produce  the  full  narcotic  effects 
of  the  favorite  weed.  They  would  rather  seem  to  confirm 
the  indications  derived  from  the  other  sources,  of  an  essential 
difference  between  the  ancient  smoking  usagea  of  Central 
America  and  of  the  mound-builders,  and   those  which  are 


140  PIPE  SCULPTURE. 

Btill  maintained  in  their  primeval  integrity  among  the 
Indians  of  the  North  West. 

Of  the  mound-builders  Foster  says : 

*'The  mound-builders  were  well  aware  of  the  narcotic  proper- 
ties of  tobacco,  a  plant  which  indigenous  to  America,  and 
which  since  the  discovery  of  the  western  continent  has  been 
domesticated  in  every  region  of  the  earth  where  the  soil  and 
climate  are  favorable  to  its  cultivation.  No  habit  at  this  day, 
it  may  be  said,  is  more  universal  or  more  ditiicnlt  to  eradi- 
cate than  that  of  smoking.  With  the  mound-builder  tobacco 
was  the  greatest  of  luxuries;  his  solace  in  his  hours  of 
relaxations,  and  the  choicest  offering  he  could  dedicate  to  the 
Great  Spirit.  Upon  his  pipe  he  lavished  all  the  skill  he 
possessed  in  the  lapidary's  art. 

"From  the  red  stone  of  the  quarry 
With  his  hand  he  broke  a  fragment 
Moulded  it  into  a  pipe  head 
Shaped  and  fashioned  it  with  figures." 

Many  of  these  pipes  are  sculptured  from  the  most  obdurate 
Btones  and  display  great  delicacy  of  w^orkmanship.  The 
features  of  animals  are  so  truthfully  cut  that  often  there  is  no 
difficulty  in  their  identification,  and  even  the  plumage  of 
birds  is  delineated  by  curved  or  straight  lines  which  show  a 
close  adherence  to  nature.  The  bowl  and  stem  piece 
wrought  from  a  single  block,  are  as  accurately  drilled  as  they 
could  be  at  this  day,  by  the  lapidary's  art.  Both  the 
War  pipe  and  Peace  pipe  are  the  most  sacred  and  the  most 
highly  valued  of  all  the  various  kinds. 

"  The  calumet,  or  pipe  of  peace,  ornamented  with  the  war 

eagles  quill,  is  a  sacred 
pipe,  and  never  used  on 
any  other  occasion  than 
that  of  peace  niakiiig, 
when  the  chief  brings  it 
into  treat}^,  and  unfold- 
ing the  many  bandages 
w  h  i  c  h  are  carefully 
kept  around  it,  has  it  ready  to  be  mutually  smoked  by  the 
chiefs,  after  the  terms  of  the  treaty  are  agreed  upon,  as  the 
means  of  solemnizing  it ;  which  is  done  by  passing  the  sacred 
stem  to  each  chief,   who  draws   one  breath   of  smoke  only 


PEACE   PIPE. 


SMOKING  IN  ALASKA.  141 

through  it.  Nothing  can  be  more  binding  than  smoking  the 
pipe  of  peace  and  is  considered  by  them  to  be  an  inviolable 
pledge.  There  is  no  custom  more  uniformly  in  constant  use 
amongst  the  poor  Indians  than  tiiat  of  smoking  nor  any  more 
highly  valued.  His  pipe  is  his  constant  companion  through 
life — his  messenger  of  peace;  he  pledges  his  friends  through 
its  stem  and  its  bowl,  and  when  its  care-drowning  fumes 
cease  to  flow,  it  takes  a  place  with  him  in  his  solitary  grave 
with  his  tomahawk  and  war-club  companions  to  his  long- 
fancied  'happy  hunting  grounds.'" 

From  specimens  of  clay  pipes  found  at  the  South  from 
Virginia  to  Florida  it  would  seem  that  the  Indians  had  a 
great  variety  of  pipes  some  of  which  were  beautifully  carved 
while  others  are  perfectly  plain.  Many  of  them  however  are 
of  rude  workmanship  and  might  have  been  fashioned  by 
Bome  of  the  tribe  unacquainted  with  pipe-making. 

Dall  gives  the  following  account  of  smoking  among  the 
natives  of  Alaska : 

"We  broke  camp  about  five  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
Nothing  occurred  to  break  the  monotony  of  constant  steady 
plodding.  Two  Indians  in  the  bow  of  the  boat  would 
row  until  tired,  and  then  we  would  stop  for  a  few  minutes  to 
rest,  and  let  them  smoke.  The  last  operation  takes  less  than 
a  minute ;  their  pipes  are  so  constructed  as  to  hold  but  a  very 
small  pinch  of  tobacco.  The  bowl,  with  ears  for  tying  it  to 
the  stem  is  generally  cast  out  of  lead.  Sometimes  it  is  made 
of  soft  stone,  bone  or  even  hard  wood.  The  stem  is  made  of 
two  pieces  of  wood  hollowed  on  one  side,  and  bound  to  the 
bowl  and  each  other  by  a  narrow  strip  of  deerskin.  In 
smoking  the  economical  Indian  generally  cuts  up  a  little 
birch  wood,  or  the  inner  bark  of  the  poplar,  and  mixes  it 
with  his  tobacco.  A  few  reindeer  hairs  pulled  from  his 
paska,  are  rolled  into  a  little  ball,  and  placed  in  the  bottom 
of  the  bowl  to  prevent  the  contents  from  being  drawn  into 
the  stem.  A  pinch  of  tobacco  cut  as  fine  as  snufE  is  inserted 
and  two  or  three  whiffs  are  afforded  by  it. 

The  smoke  is  inhaled  into  the  lungs,  producing  a  momen- 
tary stupor  and  the  operation  is  over.  A  fungus  which 
grows  on  decayed  birch  trees,  or  tinder  manufactured  from 
the  down  of  the  poplar  rubbed  up  with  charcoal  is  used  with 
flint  and  steel  for  obtaining  a  light.     Matches  are  highly 


142  GOOSE-QUILL  STEMS. 

valued  and  readily  purchased.  The  effect  of  the  Circassian 
tobacco  on  the  lungs  is  extremely  bad,  and  among  those 
tribes  who  use  it  many  die  from  asthma  and  congestion  of 
the  lungs.  This  is  principally  due  to  the  saltpetre  with  wliich 
it  is  impregnated.  The  Indian  pipe  is  copied  from  the 
Eskimo,  as  the  latter  were  the  first  to  obtain  and  use  tobacco. 
Many  of  the  tribes  call  it  by  the  Eskimo  name. 

The  Kutchin  and  Eastern  Finneh  were  modeled  after  the 
clay  pipes  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  but  they  also  carve 
very  pretty  ones  out  of  birch  knots  and  the  root  of  the  wild 
rose-bush.  The  Chukchees  use  a  pipe  similar  to  those  of  the 
Eskimo,  but  with  a  much  larger  and  shorter  stem.  This 
stem  is  hollow,  and  is  filled  with  fine  birch  shavings.  After 
smoking  for  some  months  these  shavings  impregnated  with 
the  oil  of  tobacco,  are  taken  out  through  an  opening  in  the 
lower  part  of  the  stem  and  smoked  over.  The  Hudson 
Baymeu  make  passable  pipe-stems  by  taking  a  straight-grained 
piece  of  willow  or  spruce  without  knots,  and  cutting  through 
the  outer  layers  of  bark  and  wood.  This  stick  is  heated  in 
the  ashes  and  by  twisting  the  end  in  contrary  directions  the 
heart-wood  may  be  gradually  drawn  out,  leaving  a  hollow 
tube. 

The  Kutchin  make  pretty  pipe-stems  out  of  goose- quills 
wound  about  with  porcupine-quills.  It  is  the  custom  in  the 
English  forts  to  make  every  Indian  who  comes  to  trade,  a 
present  of  a  clay  pipe  filled  with  tobacco.  We  were  provided 
with  cheap  brown  ones,  with  wooden  stems,  which  were 
much  liked  by  the  natives,  and  it  is  probable  that  small  brier- 
wood  pipes,  which  are  not  liable  to  break,  would  form  an 
acceptable  addition  to  any  stock  of  trading  goods".  The 
Tchuktchi  of  north-eastern  Asia  are  devoted  worshipers  of 
tobacco,  and  is  one  of  the  chief  articles  of  trade  with  them. 
Their  pipes  are  large,  much  larger  at  the  stem  than  the  bowl. 
In  smoking,  they  swallow  the  fumes  of  the  tobacco  wliich 
causes  intoxication  for  a  time.  "  The  desire  to  procure  a  few 
of  its  narcotic  leaves  induces  the  American  Esquimaux  from 


SMOKING  IN  RUSSIA.  143 

the  Ice  Cape  to  Bristol  Bay,  to  send  their  produce  from  hand 

to  hand  as  far  as  the 
Gnosden  Islandsin 
Belirings  Straits,  where 
it  is  bartered  for  the  to- 
bacco of  the  Tchuktchi, 
and  there  again  princi- 
pally resort  to  the  fair  of 
Ostrownoje  to  purchase 
A  TCHTiKTCHi  PIPE.  tobacco   from   the   Rus- 

sians. Generally  the  Tchuktchi  receive  from  the  Americans 
as  money  skins  for  half  a  pond,  or  eighteen  pounds  of 
tobacco  leaves  as  they  afterwards  sell  to  the  Russians  for  two 
ponds  of  tobacco  of  the  same  quality. 

The  Russians  also  are  great  lovers  of  the  weed.  A  writer 
says : — 

"Everybody  smokes,  men,  women,  and  children.  They 
smoke  Turkish  tobacco,  rolled  in  silk  paper — seldom  cigars 
or  pipes.  These  rolls  are  called  parporos.  The  ladies  almost 
all  smoke,  but  they  smoke  the  small,  delicate  sizes  of  parporos, 
while  the  gentlemen  smoke  larger  ones.  Always  at  morning, 
noon  and  night,  comes  the  inevitable  box  of  parporos,  and 
everybody  at  the  table  smokes  and  drinks  their  coffee  at  the 
same  time.  On  the  cars  are  iixed  little  cups  for  cigar  ashes 
in  every  seat.  Ladies  frequently  take  out  their  part  parporos, 
and  hand  them  to  the  gentlemen  with  a  pretty  invitation  to 
smoke.  Instead  of  having  a  smoking  car  as  we  do,  they  have 
a  car  for  those  who  are  so  '  pokey '  as  not  to  smoke." 

Throughout  the  German  States  the  custom  of  smoking 
is  universal  and  tobacco  enters  largely  into  their  list  of 
expenditures.     A  writer  says  of  smoking  in  Austria: — 

"AVe  have  been  rather  surprised  to  find  so  few  persons 
smoking  pipes  in  Austria.  Indeed,  a  pipe  is  seldom  seen 
except  among  the  laboring  classes.  The  most  favorite  mode 
of  using  the  weed  here  is  in  cigarettes,  almost  every  gentle- 
man being  provided  with  a  silver  box,  in  which  they  have 
Turkish  tobacco  and  small  slips  of  paper,  with  mucilage  on 
them  ready  for  rolling.  They  make  them  as  they  use  them, 
and  are  very  expert  in  the  handling  of  the  tobacco.     The 


144  SMOKING  IN  PERU, 

chewing  of  tobacco  is  universally  repudiated,  being  regarded 
as  the  height  of  vulgarity.  The  Turkish  tobacco  is  of  fine 
flavor,  and  commands  high  prices.  It  is  very  much  in  appear- 
ance like  the  fine  cut  chewing  tobacco  so  extensively  used  at 
home." 

The  cigars  made  by  the  Austrian  Government,  which  are 
the  only  description  to  be  had  are  very  inferior,  and  it  is  not 
to  be  wondered  that  the  cigarette  is  so  generally  used  in 
preference. 

The  smoking  of  cigarettes  by  the  ladies  is  quite  common, 
especially  among  the  higher  classes.  In  no  part  of  the  world 
is  smoking  so  common  as  in  South  America;  here  all  classes 
and  all  ages  use  the  weed.  Smoking  is  encouraged  in  the 
family  and  the  children  are  early  taught  the  custom.  A 
traveler  who  has  observed  this  custom  more  particularly  than 
any  other,  says  of  the  use  of  tobacco  in  Peru  : — 

"  Scarcely  in  any  regions  of  the  world  is  smoking  so  com- 
mon as  in  Peru.  The  rich  as  well  as  the  poor,  the  old  man 
as  well  as  the  boy,  the  master  as  well  as  the  servant,  the  lady 
as  well  as  the  negroes  who  wait  on  her,  the  young  maiden  as 
well  as  the  mother — all  smoke  and  never  cease  smoking, 
except  when  eating,  or  sleeping,  or  in  church.  Social  distinc- 
tions are  as  numerous  and  as  marked  in  Peru  as  anywhere 
else,  and  there  is  the  most  exclusive  pride  of  color  and  of 
blood.  But  differences  of  color  and  of  rank  are  wholly  dis- 
regarded when  a  light  for  a  cigar  is  requested,  a  favor  which 
it  is  not  considered  a  liberty  to  ask,  and  which  it  would  be 
deemed  a  gross  act  of  incivility  to  refuse.  It  is  chiefly 
cigarritos  which  are  smoked. 

"  The  cigarrito,  as  is  well  known,  is  tobacco  cut  fine  and 
dexterously  wrapped  in  moist  maize  leaves,  in  paper,  or  in 
straw.  Only  the  laborers  on  the  plantations'  smoke  small 
clay  pipes.  Dearer  than  the  cigarritos  are  the  cigars,  Avhich 
are  not  inferior  to  the  best  Havanna.  Everywhere  are  met 
the  cigarrito-twisters.  Cleverly  though  they  manipulate, 
cleanliness  is  not  their  besetting  weakness.  But  in  Peru, 
and  in  other  parts  of  South  America,  cleanliness  is  not  held 
in  more  esteem  than  in  Portugal  and  Spain." 

The  Turks  have  long  been  noted  as  among  the  largest  con- 
sumers of  tobacco  as  well  as  using  the  most  magnificent  of 
smoking  implements.  The  hookah  is  in  all  respects  the  most 
expensive  and  elaborate  machine  (for  so  it  may  be  called) 


SMOKING  IN  TURKEY. 


145 


nsed  for  smoking  tobacco.     A  traveler  gives  the  following 
graphic  description  of  smoking  among  them  : 

"As  each  man  smokes  only  out  of  his  own  pipe,  it  is  not 
surprising  that  this  instrument  is  an  indispensable  accompa- 


T0RK    SMOKING. 


niment  of  every  person  of  rank.  Men  of  the  higher  classes 
keep  two  or  three  servants  to  attend  to  their  pipes.  While 
one  looks  after  things  at  home,  the  other  has  to  accompany 
his  master  in  his  walks  and  rides.  The  lung  stem  is  on  such 
occasions  packed  in  a  finely  embroidered  cloth  cover,  while 
the  bowl,  tobacco,  and  other  accessories  are  carried  by  the 
servant  in  a  pouch  at  his  side.  A  stranger  in  Constantinople 
will  often  regard  with  curiosity  and  surprise,  a  proud  Osmanli 
on  foot  or  horseback,  followed  by  an  attendant  who,  through 
the  long,  carefully-packed  instrument  which  he  carries,  gives 
one  the  idea  tliat  he  is  a  Aveapon-bearer  of  some  heroic  period 
following  his  lord  to  some  dangerous  rendezvous.  So  are 
-the  tin)es  altered.  What  the  armor-bearer  was  for  the  war- 
like races  of  old,  such  is  the  tchbukdi  for  their  degenerate 
descendants. 

"To  smoke  from  sixty  to  eighty  pipes  a  day  is  by  no 
10 


146  MODERATE  SMOKING. 

means  imcommon ;  for  whatever  be  the  business,  no  matter 
how  serious,  in  which  the  Turk  is  engaged,  he  must  smoke 
at  it.  In  tiie  divan,  where  the  grandees  of  ihe  empire  consult 
together  on  the  most  delicate  affairs  of  State,  the  question 
was  once  mooted  whether  the  tchbukdes  should  not  be 
excluded  from  such  debates  as  were  of  a  strictly  private 
nature.  There  was  a  great  diversity  of  opinion  on  the  sub- 
ject. Politics  and  reason  were  on  opposite  sides.  At  last  it 
was  decided  that  they  would  not  disgrace  an  ancient  national 
usage,  but  would  allow  the  harmless  attendants  to  enter  the 
council-room  every  now  and  then  to  change  the  pipes.  In 
Turkey,  pipes  and  tobacco  afford  means  of  distinguishing  not 
only  the  different  classes  of  the  community,  but  even  the 
several  graduates  of  rank  in  the  same  class.  A  musliir  (mar- 
shal) would  find  it  derogatory  to  his  dignity  to  smoke  out  of 
a  stem  less  than  two  yards  in  length.  The  artisan  or  official 
of  a  lower  rank,  would  consider  it  highly  unbecoming  on  his 
part  to  use  one  which  exceeded  the  proper  proportions  of  his 
class.  A  superior  stretches  his  pipe  before  him  to  his  inferior ; 
while  the  latter  must  hold  his  modestly  on  one  side,  only 
allowing  the  end  of  the  mouth-piece  to  peep  out  of  his  closed 
fist. 

"  The  pasha  has  the  right  to  puff  out  his  smoke  before 
him  like  a  steam  engine,  while  his  inferiors  are  only  allowed 
to  breathe  forth  a  light  curl  of  smoke,  and  that  must  be  let 
off"  backwards.  Not  to  smoke  at  all  in  the  presence  of  a 
superior,  is  held  the  most  delicate  homage  which  can  be  paid 
him.  A  son,  for  instance,  acts  in  this  manner  in  the  presence 
of  his  father,  and  only  such  a  one  is  considered  to  be  well 
brought  up  who  declines  to  smoke  even  after  his  father  has 
repeatedly  invited  him  to  do  so.  The  fair  sex  in  the  East  is 
scarcely  less  addicted  to  the  use  of  this  weed. 

"The  girl  of  twelve  years  old  smokes  a  cigarette  of  the 
thickness  of  pack-thread.  "When  she  has  attained  her  four- 
teenth or  fifteenth  year,  and  is  already  marriageable,  she  is 
allowed  to  indulge  her  penchant  at  will,  which  is  forbidden 
when  younger.  After  this  age  the  diameter  of  the  cigarette 
increases  year  by  year;  and  when  a  lady  has  reached  the 
mature  age  of  twenty-four,  no  one  sees  anything  remarkable 
in  her  smoking  a  modest  little  chibouque  as  slie  sits  on  the 
lower  divan  of  the  harem.  Elderly  matrons — and  in  Turkey 
every  lady  is  an  elderly  matron  in  her  fortieth  year — are 
passionately  devoted  to  this  enjoyment.  The  pipe-bowls  and 
stems  always  remain  of  the  size  appropriated  by  etiquette  to 


FEMALE  SMOKING.  147 

the  use  of  the  harem ;  but  the  stronjjcst  and  most  pungent 
sorts  of  tobacco  are  not  unseldom  smoked,  until  the  mouth, 
which,  according  to  tlie  assurance  of  the  poet,  in  the  bloom 
of  its  3'outh  breathed  forth  ambergiris  and  musk,  in  its  forti- 
eth year  acquires  so  strong  a  smell  that  the  lady  cau  be 
scented  from  a  distance. 

"Like  their  lords,  the  lianyrus  of  rank  have  also  their 
tchbukdes,  of  course  of  their  own  sex,  who  accompany  them 
when  out  walking  or  ou  a  visit.  In  this  case,  however,  the 
cover  in  which  the  pipe-stem  is  made,  not  of  cloth,  but  of 
silk.  The  habit  of  refreshing  oneself  with  a  pipe  on  some 
elevated  spot  which  commands  a  tine  view,  is  common  to 
both  sexes.  Men  can  indulge  this  taste  whenever  their  fancy 
may  suggest,  but  ladies  only  in  retired  spots  ;  for,  Avhenever 
a  Turkish  fair  one  removes  the  yas  mak  (veil)  from  her  lips, 
as  she  does  to  smoke,  all  around  her  must  be  harem  (sacred). 

"  Sometimes  an  eunuch  stands  guard  at  a  little  distance 
off,  and  if  a  stranger  of  the  male  sex  approaches,  gives  a 
signal ;  the  pipe  is  held  aside,  while  the  mouth  is  kept 
covered  by  the  veil,  until  the  unexpected  Acteon  has  passed 
by.  But  where  the  pipe  plays  the  most  important  part  is  in 
the  bath.  It  is  well  known  that  the  Turkish  ladies  are 
accustomed  to  frequent  the  hommams  assiduously,  and  to 
remain  there  for  hours  together.  They  enter  the  bath  about 
eight  o'clock  in  the  morning;  take  their  midday  meal  there, 
and  return  home  between  three  and  four  in  the  afternoon. 
During  these  hours  of  leisure,  the  most  agreeable  in  a  Moham- 
medan woman's  life,  the  pipe  is  their  constant  resource.  In 
the  middle  of  the  warmest  room  is  a  round  terrace-like 
elevation,  called  Gobek-tosh. 

"Here  are  clustered  old  and  young,  the  snow  white 
daughters  of  Circassia  and  the  coal-black  beauties  of  Soudan, 
and  beguile  the  hours  with  never  ending  gossip,  while 
around  them  rise  the  dense  fumes  of  their  pipes.  Now  one 
of  the  elders  of  the  party  tells  a  story,  now  a  learned  lady 
holds  a  discourse  on  religion,  or  extols  the  beauty  and  virtue 
of  '  Aisha  Fatima.' " 

The  Fairy,  or  Dane's  pipe  is  the  most  ancient  form  of  the 
tobacco  pipe  used  in  Great  Britain  and  of  about  the  same 
size  as  the  "Elfin  pipes"  of  the  Scottish  peasantry.  A  great 
variety  of  pipes  both  in  form  and  size  have  been  found  in 
the  British  Islands  some  of  which  are  of  ancient  origin 
bearing  dates  prior  to  the  Seventeenth  Century.     Some  of 


148  EARLY  MANUFACTURE  OF  PIPES. 

these  ancient  pipes  are  formed  of  very  fine  clay  and  although 
they  held  but  a  small  quantity  of  tobacco  were  doubtless 
considered  to  be  fine  specimens  in  their  time. 

The  manufacture  of  pipes  commenced  soon  after  the 
custom  of  using  tobacco  had  become  fashionable  and  soon 
after  the  Virginians  commenced  its  cultivation.  Fairholt 
says: 

"  The  early  period  at  which  tobacco  pipes  were  first  manu- 
factured, is  established  by  the  fiict  that  the  incorporation  of 
the  craft  of  tobacco-pipe  makers  took  place  on  the  5th  of 
October,  1619.  Their  privileges  extending  through  the 
cities  of  London  and  Westminster,  the  kingdom  of  England 


OLD   ENGLISH    PIPES. 


and  dominion  of  Wales.  They  have  a  Master,  four  Wardens, 
and  about  twenty-four  Assistants.  They  were  first  incorpo- 
rated by  King  James  in  his  seventeenth  year,  confirmed 
again  by  King  Charles  I.,  and  lastly  on  the  twenty-ninth  of 
April  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  King  Charles  II.,  in  all  the 
privileges  of  their  aforesaid  charters. 

"Tlie  London  Company  of  Tobacco  Pipe  Makers  was 
incorporated  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II  (1663) ;  it  bad  no 
hall  and  no  livery  but  was  governed  by  a  Master  two  wardens, 
and  eighteen  assistants.  The  first  pipes  used  in  the  British 
Islands  were  made  of  silver  wliile  'ordinary  ones'  were  made 
of  a  walnut  shell  and  a  straw.  Afterwards  appeared  the 
more  common  clay  pipes  in  various  forms  and  which  are  in 
use  at  the  present  time." 

During  the  reign  of  Anne  and  George  I.  the  pipes  assumed 
a  different  form  and  greater  length  so  long  were  the  stems  of 
some  of  them  that  they  were  called  yards  of  day.  The 
French  pipe  is  one  of  the  finest  manufactured  and  is  made  of 
a  fine  red  clay  especially  those  made  by  Fiolet  of  St.  Omer, 
one  of  the  best  designers  of  pipes.  Man}'  of  these  like 
German  pipes  are  made  of  porcelain,  adorned  with  portraits 


FRENCH  PIPES. 


149 


and  landscapes.  Others  are  made  of  rare  kinds  of  wood 
turned  in  the  lathe  or  artistically  carved,  and  lined  with  clay 
to  resist  the  action  of  fire. 

The  French  also  make  pipes  of  agate,  amber,  crystal,  car- 
nelian  and  ivory,  as  well  as  the  various  kinds  of  pure  or 
mixed  metals.  Many  of  the  French  and  German  pipes  while 
they  are  beautiful  in  design  and  made  of  the  most  costly 
materials  are  often  exceedingly  grotesque,  representing  often 
the  most  ludicrous  scenes  and  all  possible  attitudes.  Many 
of  them  have  been  termed  as  satirical  pipes  taking  off  some 
public  character  a  la  Nast. 

Fairholt  says  of  satirical  pipes : 

"England  has  occasioned  the  production  of  one  satirical 
pipe  for  sale  among  ourselves.  The  late  Duke  of  Wellington 
toward  the  close  of  his  life,  took  a  strong  dislike  to  the  use  of 
tobacco  in  the  army,  and  made  some  ineffectual  attempts  to 
suppress  it.  Benda,  a  wholesale  pipe  importer  in  tlie  city 
employed  Dumeril,  of  St.  Omer,  to  commemorate  the  event, 
and  the  result  was  a  pipe  head,  in  which  a  subaltern,  pipe  in 
hand,  quietly  'takes  a  sight'  at  the  great  commander  who  is 
caricatured  after  a  fashion  that  must  have  made  the  work  a 
real  pleasure  to  a  Frenchman."  Many  of  the  French  pipes 
are  exceedingly  quaint  representing  all  manner  of  comical 
scenes.     One  is  formed  like  a  steam-engine  the  smoke  pass- 


FEENCH    PIPES. 


ing  through  the  funnel.  Another  is  fashioned  after  a  potato 
or  a  turnip  while  others  often  represent  some  military 
subjects.  In  England  and  Ireland  also  pipes  of  a  whimsical 
form  are  common. 


CHAPTEK  VII. 

PIPES   AND    SMOKERS.    (CONTINUED,) 

N  Russia  and  Denmark  as  also  in  Norway  and 
Sweden  tlie  pipes  are  more  simple  and  are  principally 
formed  of  wood  sometimes  tipped  with  copper  but 
usually  of  inferior  material  and  work  when  compared 
with  French  and  German  pipes.  The  German  pipes  con- 
sidered as  works  of  art  are  doubtless  the  finest  made.  Many 
are  made  of  meerschaum  (sea  foam).  This  material  is  found 
in  various  parts  of  Asia  Minor.  When  first  obtained  it  is 
capable  of  forming  a  lather  like  soap,  and  is  used  by  the 
Tartars  for  washing  purposes.  The  Turks  use  it  for  pipes 
which  are  made  in  the  same  way  that  pottery  is  and  after- 
wards soaked  in  wax  and  is  then  ready  for  smoking.  It  heats 
slowly  and  is  capable  of  greater  absorption  than  any  other 
material  used  in  pipe  making.  To  properly  color  a  meer- 
schaum is  now  considered  as  one  of  the  fine  arts  and  when 
completed  is  considered  quite  a  triumph.  "When  the  pipe 
takes  on  a  rich  deep  brown  tint  it  is  considered  a  valuable 
pipe  and  is  watched  and  guarded  as  a  most  valuable  treasure. 
M.  Ziegler  thus  describes  the  source  whence  the  considerable 
annual  supply  of  meerschaum  for  meerschaum  pipes  is 
derived : 

"Large  quantities  of  this  mineral  so  highly  esteemed  by 
smokers,  comes  from  Hrubschitz  and  Oslawan  in  Austrian 
Moravia,  where  it  is  found  embedded  between  thick  strata  of 
serpentine  rock.  It  is  also  found  in  Spain  at  Esconshe^ 
Yallecos,  and  Toledo ;  the  best  however  comes  from  Asia 
Minor.     The   chief  places  are   the   celebrated   meerschaum 

150 


MEERSCHAUM  PIPES.  151 

mines  from  six  to  eight  miles  southeast  of  Eskis  chehr,  on 
the  river  Pursak  chief  tributary  to  the  river  Sagarius.  They 
were  known  to  Xenophon,  and  are  now  worked  principally 
by  Armenian  Christians,  who  sink  narrow  pits,  to  the  beds 
of  this  mineral,  and  work  the  sides  out  until  water  or  immi- 
nent danger  drives  them  away  to  try  another  place.  Some 
meerschaum  comes  from  Brussa,  and  in  1869  over  8,000 
boxes  of  raw  material  were  imported  from  Asia  Minor  at 
Trieste,  with  345,000  florins.  The  pipe  manufacture  and 
carving  is  pi'incipally  carried  on  in  Vienna  and  in  Rhula, 
Duchy  of  Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.  The  commercial  value  of 
meerschaum  carving  at  these  places  may  be  estimated  at 
$2,000,000  annually.  However  very  large  quantities  of  them 
are  not  made  from  genuine  but  artificial  material.  The 
waste  from  these  carvings  is  ground  to  a  ver}^  lino  powder, 
and  then  boiled  with  linseed  oil  and  alum.  When  this 
mixture  has  suflicient  cohesion,  it  is  cast  in  molds  and  care- 
fully dried  and  carved,  as  if  these  blocks  of  mineral  had  been 
natural.  It  is  said  that  about  one-half  of  all  pipes  now  sold 
are  made  from  artificial  meerschaum.  Meerschaum  is  one  of 
the  lightest  of  minerals  and  it  is  said  that  in  Italy  bricks 
have  been  made  of  it  so  light  that  they  would  float  on  (he 
top  of  the  water.  Some  pipes  (doubtless  owing  to  the 
quality  of  meerschaum)  take  on  more  color  in  a  given  time 
than  others  this  is  owing  in  a  great  measure  however  to  the 
thickness  of  the  bowl." 

Pipe-colorers,  who  go  around  coloring  pipes  or  meer- 
schaums, pride  themselves  on  the  rapidity  with  which  they 
are  enabled  to  color  a  pipe.  The  following,  on  "Pipe 
Colorers,"  is  from  "  The  Tobacco  Plant "  : 

"There  are  men  who  pride  themselves  upon  the  skill  with 
which  the}'  are  able  to  color  the  pipes  they  smoke.  Some  of 
these  are  amateurs,  who  smoke  Tobacco  only  with  the  view 
of  gratifying  that  taste  for  color  which  is  satisfied  when  a 
bowl  of  clay  or  meerschaum  is  sufficiently  yellowed,  browned, 
or  blacked.  There  are  men  who  care  nothing  for  Tobacco 
of  itself,  and  would  be  much  more  easily  and  rationally 
pleased  were  they  to  set  their  pipes  upon  an  esisel  and  ])aint 
tliem  with  oils  and  camel's-liair.  Others  of  the  class  are 
professional  colorers,  who  hire  themsehes  to  pipe-sellers  or 
connoisseurs  by  the  M'eek,  or  day,  or  hour,  to  smoke  so  many 
ounces  or  pounds  of  strong  Tobacco  through  such  and  such 
pipes  in  such  and  such  a  time,  with  the  view  of  causing  such 


152 


COLOKINQ  MEERSCHAUMS. 


PIPE    COLORER. 


and  such  stains  of  Tobacco-juice  to  make  themselves  visible 
on  the  bowls  or  stems  of  those  specified  pipes.     These  are 

mostly  old,  well -seasoned 
smokers,  to  whose  existence 
the  weed  has  become  essen- 
tial; who  smoke  their  own 
old  pipes,  which  lack  artistic 
coloring,  in  the  intervals 
when  they  lay  aside  the 
pipes  they  are  employed  to 
color.  Another  and  much 
smaller  section  of  the  class 
are  those  who  smoke  for 
smoking's  sake,  and  yet  are 
weak  enough  to  nnrse  some 
special  pipes  for  show.  To 
such  it  is  a  joy  to  say,  when 
friends  are  gathered  at  the 
festive  board  '  Look  !  is  not 
that  well  colored  ?  1  colored 
it  myself.'  In  such  an  age 
as  this,  when  the  learned  cannot  tell  us  which  of  our  various 
branches  of  knowledge  and  inquiry  are  sciences  and  which 
are  not,  it  may  not  seem  a  great  anomaly  that  this  \yi\>e- 
coloring  should,  by  some,  be  called  '  an  art.-  Nor  is  it,  when 
we  think  that  there  is  such  an  'art'  as  blacking  shoes;  and 
when  we  must  perforce  admit  that  he  who,  barber  fashion, 
cuts  our  hair — and  he  who,  cook-wise,  broils  the  kidney  for 
our  mid-day  dinner — is  an  artist.  "We  have  not  come  as  yet 
to  give  this  title  to  the  weaver  who  watches  the  loom  tliat 
weaves  our  stockings,  or  to  the  hammer-man  who  beats  the 
red-hot  horse-shoe  on  the  anvil  in  a  smithy;  but  even  there 
we  designate  'artisans,'  and  'artists'  may  come  next.  So, 
hey  !  for  the  art  of  coloring  pipes ! 

"  It  may  not  be  denied  that  there  is  beauty  in  a  well-colored 
meerschaum ;  but  in  the  admission  lies  the  contradiction  of 
Keats'  well-known  line — 

"A  thing  of  beauty  is  n  joy  for  ever." 

For,  your  meerschaum  is  a  fragile  thing,  and  eminently  fran- 
gible. This  present  writer  once  did  see  four  beauties  break 
within  a  single  moon.  And  when  they  break,  what  previous 
joy  of  coloring  can  over-top  the  sorrow  of  their  dire  destruc- 
tion ?  It  is  a  singular  difficulty  in  the  way  of  those  who 
most  desire  to  beautify  utility  or  utilize  the  beautiful,  or 


THE  CITY  OF  SMOKERS.  153 

show  that  beauty  is  most  lovely  when  made  practical,  that 
these  artistic  colorers  of  pipes  are  always  those  who  make 
least  use  of  Tobacco,  save  for  the  immediate  purpose  of 
obtaining  the  clay  in  M'hich  it  is  smoked.  Ask  such  an  artist 
why  he  smokes,  and  he  will  scarcely  tell  you.  His  best  rea- 
son certainly  will  be,  that  others  smoke,  and,  as  a  custom,  it 
becomes  him.  And  when  you  find  an  ardent  smoker — one 
who  smokes  because  he  likes  Tobacco  for  itself,  or  finds  it 
useful — who  spends  his  time  in  tinting  pipes,  you  will  have 
found  a  vara  ams^  or  a  monstrosity.  Apart  from  taste,  there 
are  some  practical  objections  to  this  custom  of  coloring  pipes. 
Smoking,  to  be  worthy,  should  be  free  and  unrestrained ; 
while  he  who  colors  his  pipe  is  tied  by  system  and  confined 
to  rule. 

"  A  pipe  to  be  enjoyable,  should  be  its  master's  slave ;  but 
he  who  keeps  a  '  well-colored '  pipe  is  slave  thereto.  He  can- 
not smoke  it  as,  or  when,  or  where  he  will.  He  must  not 
smoke  it  in  a  draught,  or  near  a  fire;  he  must  not  lay  it 
down,  or  finger  it ;  he  must  not  pufi"  too  fast,  nor  yet  too 
slow.  In  short,  he  is  the  creature  of  this  '  Joss ' — this  hotne- 
made  deity — to  which  he  bows  down  and  worships.  The 
pipe-colorers  are  the  Sabbatarians  of  smoking.  Whereas,  the 
pipe  was  made  for  man,  they  treat  man  as  made  for  the  pipe. 
And  thus,  as  in  all  cases  where  the  cart  is  expected  to  draw 
the  horse,  the  economy  of  nature  is  reversed,  and  mischief  is 
evolved." 

Dibdin,  in  his  "  Tour  in  France  and  Germany,"  says  of 
Vienna,  that  it  is  a  city  of  smokers, — "a  good  Austrian 
thinks  he  can  never  pay  too  much  for  a  good  pipe."  Many 
of  the  Germans  use  a  kind  of  pipe  carved  from  the  root  of 
the  dwarf  oak;  wooden  pipes  of  a  similar  kind  are  made  of 
brier  root,  and  are  very  common,  as  are  also  those  made  from 
maple  and  sweet-brier.  One  of  the  favorite  pipes  used  by 
Germans  is  the  porcelain 
pipe,  which  consists  of  a 
double  bowl — the  upper 
one  containing  the  to- 
bacco, which  fits  into 
another  portion  of  the 
pipe,  allowing  the  oil  to  ^^^^^^  porcelain  pipes. 

drain  into  the  lower  bowl, 
which  may  be  removed  and  the  pipe  cleaned.    The  bowls  are 


154  "MY  GREAT  GRANDFATHER." 

sometimes  painted  beautifully,  representing  a  variety  of  Bub- 
jects,  and  in  no  way  inferior  to  the  painted  porcelain  for  the 
table. 

The  Dutch  are  famous  smokers  and  are  constantly  "  pull- 
ing at  the  pipe."  They  use  those  with  long,  straight  stems, 
and  both  their  clay  and  porcelain  pipes  are  of  the  finest  form 
and  finish.  Irving,  in  "  The  History  of  New  York  from  the 
Beginning  of  the  World  to  the  End  of  the  Dutch  Dynasty," 
has  given  a  good  description  of  the  smoking  powers  of  the 
Dutch.  Speaking  of  his  grandfather's  love  for  the  weed,  he 
says : 

"My  great-grandfather,  by  the  mother's  side,  Hermanns 
Yan  Clattercop,  when  employed  to  build  the  large  stone 
church  at  Rotterdam,  which  stands  about  three  hundred 
yards  to  your  left,  after  your  turn  from  the  Boomkeys;  and 
which  is  so  conveniently  constructed  that  all  the  zealous 
Christians  of  Rotterdam  prefer  sleeping  through  a  sermon 
there  to  any  other  church  in  the  city.  My  great-grandfather, 
I  say,  when  employed  to  build  that  famous  church,  did,  in 
the  first  place,  send  to  Delft  for  a  box  of  long  pipes ;  then, 
having  purchased  a  new  spitting-box  and  a  hundred  weight 
of  the  best  Virginia,  he  sat  himself  down  and  did  nothing 
for  the  space  of  three  months  but  smoke  most  laboriously. 

"  Then  did  he  spend  full  three  months  more  in  trudging  on 
foot,  and  voyaging  in  the  Trekschuit,  from  Rotterdam  to 
Amsterdam — to  Delft — to  HaBrlem — to  Leyden — to  the 
Hague — knocking  his  head  and  breaking  liis  pipe  against 
every  church  in  liis  road.  Then  did  he  advance  gradually 
nearer  and  nearer  to  Rotterdam,  until  he  came  in  full  sight 
of  the  identical  spot  whereon  the  church  was  to  be  built. 
Then  did  he  spend  three  months  longer  in  walking  round  it 
and  round  it,  contemplating  it,  first  from  one  point  of  view, 
and  then  from  another, — now  would  he  be  paddled  by  it  on 
the  canal — now  would  he  peep  at  it  through  a  telescope  from 
the  other  side  of  the  Mouse,  and  now  would  he  take  a  bird's- 
eye  glance  at  it  from  the  top  of  one  of  those  gigantic  wind- 
mills which  protect  the  gates  of  the  city. 

"  The  good  folks  of  the  place  were  on  the  tip-toe  of  expec- 
tation and  impatience.  Notwithstanding  all  the  turmoil  of 
my  great-grandfather,  not  a  symptom  of  the  church  was  yet 
to  be  seen ;  they  even  began  to  fear  it  would  never  be 
brought  into  the  world,  but  that  its  great  projector  would  lie 


HUDSON  AS  A  SMOKER.  I55 

down  and  die  in  labor  of  the  mighty  plan  he  had  conceived. 
At  length,  having  occupied  twelve  good  months  in  puffing 
and  paddling,  and  talking  and  walking, — having  traveled 
over  all  Holland,  and  even  taken  a  peep  into  France  and 
Germany, — having  smoked  five  hundred  and  ninety-nine 
pipes  and  three  hundred  weight  of  the  best  Virginia 
tobacco, — my  great-grandfather  gathered  together  all  that 
knowing  and  industrious  class  of  citizens  who  prefer  attend- 
ing to  anybody's  business  sooner  than  their  own,  and  having 
pulled  off  his  coat  and  five  pair  of  breeches  he  advanced 
sturdily  up  and  laid  the  corner-stone  of  the  church,  in  the 
presence  of  the  whole  multitude, — just  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  thirteenth  month." 

He  also  alludes  to  Hudson  whom  he  says  was: 
"  A  seafaring  man  of  renown,  who  had  learned  to  smoke 
tobacco  under  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  and  is  said  to  have  been 
the  first  to  introduce  it  into  Holland,  which  gained  him 
much  popularity  in  that  country,  and  caused  him  to  find 
great  favor  in  their  High  Mightinesses,  the  lords  and  states 
general,  and  also  of  the  honorable  West  India  Company. 
He  was  a  short,  square,  brawny  old  gentleman,  with  a  double 
chin,  a  mastiff  mouth,  and  a  broad  copper  nose,  which  was 
supposed  in  those  days  to  have  acquired  its  fiery  hue  from  the 
constant  neighborhood  of  his  tobacco  pipe.  *  *  *  As 
chief  mate  and  favorite  companion,  the  commander  chose 
Master  Robert  Juet,  of  Limehouse,  in  England.  By  some 
his  name  has  been  spelled  Chewit,  ascribed  to  the  circum- 
stance of  his  having  been  the  first  man  that  ever  chewed 
tobacco.  *  *  *  *  Under  every  misfortune  he  comforted 
himself  with  a  quid  of  tobacco,  and  the  truly  philosophical 
maxim,  '  that  it  will  be  all  the  same  a  hundred  years  hence ! ' " 
Further  on  he  alludes  to  the  attempt  to  subjugate  New 
Amsterdam  to  the  British  crown  and  the  effect  produced  by 
the  burghers  lighting  their  pipes.  "  When  "  he  says  "  Cap- 
tain Argol's  vessel  hove  in  sight,  the  worthy  burghers  were 
seized  with  such  a  panic,  that  they  fell  to  smoking  their  pipes 
with  astonishing  vehemence,  insomuch  that  they  quickly 
raised  a  cloud,  which,  combining  with  the  surrounding  woods 
and  marshes,  completely  enveloped  and  concealed  their 
beloved  village ;  and  overhung  the  fair  regions  of  Pavonia : — 
so  that  the  terrible  Captain  Argol  passed  on,  totally  unsus- 
picious that  a  sturdy  little  Dutch  settlement  lay  snugly 
couched  in  the  mud,  under  cover  of  all  this  pestilent  vapor." 


156 


PERSIAN  WATER  PIPES. 


A    PERSIAN    WATER    PIPK. 


The  Persians*  are  said  to  be  the  first  to  invent  the  mode 
of  drawing  tobacco  smoke  through  water  thereby  cooling  it 

before  inhaling  it.  Fair- 
liolt  says  "  it  is  to  smoking 
what  ice  is  to  Champagne." 
The  London  Review  gives 
the  following  description 
of  pipes  and  smoking 
apparatus : 

"The  hookah  of  India  is 
the  most  splendid  and  glit- 
tering of  all  pipes ;  it  is  a 
large  affair,  on  account  of 
the  arrangements  for  caus- 
ing the  smoke  to  pass 
through  water  before  it 
reaches  the  lips  of  the 
smoker,  as  a  means  of  ren- 
dering it  cooler  and  of  ex- 
tracting from  it  much  of  its  rank  and  disagreeable  flavor. 

"  On  the  top  of  an  air-tight  vessel,  half  filled  with  water,  is 
a  bowl  containing  tobacco ;  a  small  tube  descends  from  the 
bowl  into  the  water,  and  a  flexible  pipe,  one  end  of  which  is 
between  the  lips  of  the  smoker,  is  inserted  at  the  other 
end  into  the  vessel,  above  the  level  of  the  water.  Such 
being  the  adjustment,  the  philosophy  of  the  inhalation 
may  be  easily  understood.  The  smoke  sucks  the  air  out  of 
the  vessel,  and  makes  a  partial  vacuum ;  the  external  air, 
pressing  on  the  burning  tobacco,  drives  the  smoke  through 
the  small  tube  into  the  water  beneath ;  purified  from  some  of 
its  rank  qualities,  the  smoke  bubbles  up  into  the  vacant  part 
of  the  vessel  above  the  water,  and  passes  through  the  flexible 
pipe  to  the  smoker's  mouth.  Sometimes  the  affair  is  made 
still  more  luxurious  by  substituting  rose-water  for  water  j9?^r 
et  simple.  The  tube  is  so  long  and  flexible  that  the  smoker 
may  sit  (or  squat)  at  a  small  or  great  distance  from  the  vessel 
containing  the  water.  In  the  courts  of  princes  and  wealthy 
natives  the  vessels  and  tubes  are  lavishly  adorned  with 
precious  metals.     One  mode  of  showing  hospitality  in  the 

•Sandys,  writing  In  1610  narrates  a  Persian  legend  to  the  effect  tl  at  Phiraz  tobacco  waa 
given  by  a  holy  man  to  a  virtuous  youtli,  disconsolate  at  the  loss  of  his  lovinfr  wife.  "  Oo  to 
thy  wife's  tomb,"  said  the  anchorite,  "  and  there  thou  wilt  find  a  weid.  riuck  it.  place  it  In 
a  reed,  and  inhale  the  smolie,  as  you  put  tire  to  it.  This  will  be  to  vou  wife,  mother,  father 
and  brother,"  continued  theholyman,  in  Homeric  strain,  "and  abevo  all,  will  be  a  wise 
counsellor,  and  teach  thy  soul  wisdom  and  thy  spirit  joy." 


TURKISH  PIPES.  157 

East  is  to  place  a  hookah  in  the  center  of  tlic  apartment, 
range  the  guests  around,  and  let  all  have  a  whiff  of  the  pipe 
in  turn ;  but  in  more  luxurious  establishments  a  separate 
hookah  is  placed  before  each  guest.  Some  of  the  Egyptians 
use  a  form  of  hookah  called  the  narghile  or  nargeeleh — so 
named  because  the  water  is  contained  in  the  shell  of  a  cocoa- 
nut  of  which  the  Arabic  name  is  nargeeleh.  Another  kind, 
having  a  glass  vessel,  is  called  the  sheshee — having,  like  the 
other,  a  very  long  tube.  Only  the  choicest  tobacco  is  used 
with  the  hookah  and  nargeeleh  ;  it  is  grown  in  Persia. 

"  Before  it  is  used,  the  tobacco  is  washed  several  times,  and 
put  damp  into  the  pipe-bowl,  two  or  three  pieces  of  live 
charcoal  are  put  on  the  top.  The  moisture  gives  mildness  to 
the  tobacco,  but  renders  inhalation  so  difficult  that  weak 
lungs  are  unfitted  to  bear  it.  The  dry  tobacco  preferred  by 
the  Persians  does  not  involve  so  much  difficulty  in  '  blowing 
a  cloud.' " 

TURKISH  CHIBOUQUES  AND  "WOOD  PIPES. 

"  The  stiff-stemmed  Turkish  pipes,  quite  different  from  the 
flexible  tube  of  the  hookah  and  narghile,  are  of  two  kinds, 
the  kablioun  or  long  pipe,  and  the  chibouque  or  short  pipe. 
Some  of  the  stems  of  the  kablioun,  made  of  cherry  tree,  jas- 
mine, wild  plum,  and  ebony,  are  five  feet  in  length,  and  are 
bored  with  a  kind  of  gimlet.  Tlie  workman,  placing  the 
gimlet  above  the  long,  slender  branchlet  of  wood,  bores  half 
the  length,  and  then  reverses  the  position  to  operate  upon 
the  other  half.  The  wild  cherry  tree  wood,  which  is  the 
most  frequently  employed,  is  seldom  free  from  defects  in 
the  bark,  and  some  skill  is  exercised  in  so  repairing  these 
defective  places  that  the  mending  shall  be  invisible." 

The  tubes  or  pipe-bowls  used  with  these  steins  are  mostly 
a  combination  of  two  substances — the  red  clay  of  Nish  and 
the  white  earth  of  Rustchuk ;  they  arc  graceful  in  form  and 
sometimes  decorated  with  gilding.  It  is  characteristic  of 
some  of  the  Turks  that  they  estimate  the  duration  of  a 
journey,  and  with  it  the  distance  traveled,  by  the  number  of 
pipes  smoked,  a  particular  size  of  pipe-bowl  being  undei'stood. 
Dodwell,  in  his  "  Tour  through  Greece,"  says  that  "  a  Turk 
is  generally  very  clean  in  his  smoking  aj^paratus,  having  a 
small  tin  dish  laid  on  the  carpet  of  his  apartment,  on  which 
the  bowl  of  the  pipe  can  rest,  to  prevent  the  tobacco  from 


158  PIPE  STEMS. 

burning  or  soiling  the  carpet.  The  tubes  of  the  kabliouna 
are  often  as  much  as  seven  or  eight  feet  long.  Some  of  the 
gardens  of  Turkey  and  Greece  contain  jasmine  trees  pur- 
posely cultivated  to  produce  straight  stems  for  these  pipes." 

Of  those  Turkish  pipes  which  are  used  in  Egypt,  Mr.  Lane, 
after  mentioning  the  narghile  and  the  chibouque  or  "  shibuk," 
says  : — 

"  The  most  common  kind  used  in  Egypt  is  made  of  wood 
called  garmashak  (I  believe  it  is  maple).  The  greater  part 
of  the  stick,  from  the  mouth-piece  to  three-fourths  of  its 
length,  is  covered  with  silk,  which  is  confined  at  each  extremity 
by  gold  thread,  often  intertwined  with  colored  silks,  or  by  a 
tube  of  gilt  or  silver ;  and  at  the  lower  extremity  of  the  cover- 
ing is  a  tassel  of  silk.  The  covering  was  originally  designed 
to  be  moistened  with  water  in  order  to  cool  the  pipe,  and 
consequently  the  smoke  by  evaporation ;  but  this  is  only  done 
when  the  pipe  is  old  or  not  handsome.  These  stick  pipes 
are  used  by  many  persons,  particularly  in  winter ;  in  summer 
the  smoke  is  not  so  cool  from  them  as  from  the  kind  before 
mentioned.  The  bowl  is  of  baked  earth,  colored  red  or 
brown." 

AUSTKIAN  AND  HUNGARIAN  PIPE  STEMS. 

Before  passing  to  the  subject  of  the  costly  mouth-pieces  of 
Oriental  pipes,  we  must  say  a  few  words  concerning  the 
extraordinary  care  bestowed  on  some  kinds  of  plain  wood 
sticks  for  stems  or  tubes.  Cherry-tree  stems,  under  the  name 
of  agriots,  constitute  a  specialty  of  Austrian  manufacture. 
The  fragrant  cherry  (prunus  makaleb)  is  a  native  of  that 
country ;  and  the  young  trees  are  cultivated  with  special  ref- 
erence to  this  application.  They  are  all  raised  from  seed. 
The  seedlings,  when  two  years  old,  are  planted  in  small  pots, 
one  in  each ;  as  they  grow,  every  tendency  to  branching  is 
choked  by  removing  the  bud ;  and  as  they  increase  in  size 
from  year  to  year,  they  are  shifted  into  larger  pots  or  into 
boxes.  Great  care  is  taken  to  turn  them  round  daily,  so  that 
every  part  shall  be  equally  exposed  to  sunshine.  When  the 
plants  have  attained  a  sufficient  height  they  are  allowed  to 
form  a  small  bushy  head ;  but  the  daily  care  is  continued 
until  the  stems  grow  to  a  proper  thickness.     They  are  then 


AMBER  MOUTH-PIECES.  159 

taken  out  of  the  ground,  the  roots  and  branches  removed, 
and  the  stem  bored  through  after  being  seasoned  for  some 
time.  The  care  shown  in  rearing  insures  a  perfect  straight- 
ness  of  stem,  and  an  equable  diameter  of  about  an  inch  or 
an  inch  and  a  half.  The  last  specimens,  when  cut  from  the 
tree,  are  as  much  as  eight  feet  in  length,  dark  purple-brown  in 
color,  and  highlj  fragrant.  At  Pesth  are  made  pipes  about 
eighteen  inches  in  length,  of  the  shoots  of  the  mock  orange, 
remarkable  for  their  quality  in  absorbing  the  oil  of  tobacco, 
they  are  flexible  without  being  weak.  The  French  make 
elegant  pipe-bowls  of  the  root  of  the  tree-heath,  but  their 
chief  attention  is  directed,  as  far  as  concerns  wood  pipes,  to 
those  of  brier-root,  which  are  made  by  them  in  large  quanti- 
ties. The  bowl  and  the  short  stems  are  carried  out  of  one 
piece,  and  the  wood  is  credited  with  absorbing  some  of  the 
rank  oil  of  tobacco. 

Amber — the  only  kind  of  resin  that  rises  to  the  dignity  of 
a  gem — is  unfitted  for  the  bowl  of  a  tobacco-pipe,  because  it 
cannot  well  bear  the  heat ;  but  it  is  largely  used  for  mouth- 
pieces, especially  by  wealthy  Oriental  smokers.  The  Turks 
have  a  belief  that  amber  wards  off  infection ;  an  opinion 
which,  whether  right  or  wrong,  tells  well  for  the  amber 
workers.  There  has  always  been  a  mystery  connected  with 
this  remarkable  substance.  So  far  back  as  the  Phenicians, 
amber  was  picked  up  on  the  Baltic  shore  of  what  is  now 
called  Prussia;  and  the  same  region  has  ever  since  been  the 
chief  store-house  for  it.  Tacitus  was  not  far  wrong  when  he 
conjectured  that  amber  is  a  gum  or  resin  exuded  from  certain 
trees,  although  other  authorities  have  preferred  a  theory  that 
it  is  a  kind  of  wax  or  fat  which  has  undergone  slow  petrifac- 
tion. At  any  rate,  it  must  at  one  time  have  been  liquid  or 
semi-liquid ;  for  insects,  flies,  detached  wings  and  legs,  and 
small  fragments  of  various  kinds,  are  often  found  imbedded 
in  it — those  odds  and  ends  of  which  Pope  said : — 

"  The  things,  we  know,  are  neither  rich  nor  rare; 
The  wonder's  how  the  devil  they  got  there !" 


160 


OBTAINING  AMBER. 


Whether  new  stores  of  amber  are  now  being  formed,  or 
whether,  like  coal,  it  was  the  result  of  causes  not  now  in 
operation,  is  an  unsolved  problem.  The  specimens  obtained 
differ  considerably;  some  are  pale  as  primrose,  some  deep 
orange  or  almost  brown ;  some  nearly  as  transparent  as  crys- 
tal, some  nearly  opaque.  Large  pieces,  uniform  in  color  and 
translucency,  fetch  high  prices;  and  there  are  fashions  in 
this  matter  for  which  it  is  not  easy  to  account, — seeing  that 
the  Turks  and  other  Orientals  buy  up,  at  prices  which  Euro- 
peans are  unwilling  to  give,  all  the  specimens  presenting  a 
straw-yellow  color  and  a  sort  of  cloudy  translucency.  The 
Russians,  on  the  contrary,  prefer  orange-yellow  transparent 
specimens.    The  amber  is  seldom  obtained  by  actual  mining. 

It  is  usually  found  on  sea-coasts,  after  storms,  in  rounded 
nodules ;  or,  if  scarce  on  shore,  it  is  sought  for  by  men  clad 
in  leather  garments,  who  wade  up  to  their  necks  in  the  sea, 
and  scrape  the  sea-bottom  with  hooped  nets  attached  to  the 

end  of  long  poles ; 


or  (rather  danger- 
ous work)  men  go 
out  in  boats,  and 
examine  the  faces 
:|>  of  precipitous  cliffs, 
picking  off",  by 
means  of  iron 
hooks,  the  lumps 
of  amber  which 
they  may  see  here 
and  there.  Some- 
times  a  piece 
weighing  nearly  a  pound  is  found,  and  a  weight  of  even  ten 
pounds  is  recorded.  As  small  pieces  can  easily  be  joined 
by  smoothing  the  surfaces,  moistening  them  with  linseed  oil, 
and  pressing  them  together  over  a  charcoal  fire,  and  as  gum 
copal  is  sometimes  very  like  amber,  there  is  much  sophistica- 
tion indulged  in,  which  none  but  an  expert  can  guard  against. 
In  fashioning  the  nodules  of    amber,  whether  genuine  or 


SEARCHING   FOR   AMBER. 


ITS  VALUE.  iQi 

fictitious,  into  pipe  mouth-pieces,  they  are  split  on  a  leaden 
plate  in  a  turning  lathe,  smoothed  into  shape  by  whet-stones, 
rubbed  with  chalk  and  water,  and  polished  with  a  piece  of 
flannel.  It  is  an  especially  difficult  kind  of  work ;  for  unless 
the  amber  is  allowed  frequent  intervals  for  cooling,  it 
becomes  electrically  excited  by  the  friction  and  shivers  into 
fragments ;  the  men,  too,  are  put  into  nervous  tremors  if 
kept  too  long  at  work  at  one  time.  Amber  is  one  of  the 
most  electrically  excitable  of  all  known  substances;  in  fact, 
the  name  electricity  itself  was  derived  from  electron,  the 
Greek  name  for  amber.  Hookahs,  chibouques,  narghiles, 
ineerschaums,  all  are  largely  adorned  with  amber  mouth- 
pieces. The  mouth-piece  often  consists  of  two  or  three 
pieces  of  amber,  interjoined  with  ornaments  of  gold  and 
gems ;  it  is  in  such  case  the  most  costly  part  of  the  pipe. 

At  one  of  the  greater  industrial  exhibitions  four  Turkish 
amames,  or  amber  mouth-pieces,  were  shown,  illustrating 
clearly  enough  the  value  attached  to  choice  specimens ;  two 
of  them  were  worth  £350  each,  two  £200  each,  diamond 
Etudded.  The  Turkish  and  Persian  pipes  have  often  a  small 
wooden  tube  inside  the  amber  mouth-piece.  They  require 
frequent  cleaning  with  a  long  wire  and  a  bit  of  tow,  and  in 
some  large  towns  there  are  professional  pipe-cleaners. 

The  natives  of  British  Guiana  have  a  curious  kind  of  pipe, 
made  of  the  rind  of  the  fruit  of  the  areca-palm,  coiled  up 
into  a  kind  of  cheroot,  with  an  internal  hollow  to  hold  the 
tobacco.  The  poorer  Hindoos  make  a  simple  pipe  of  two 
pieces  of  bamboo, — one  cut  close  to  a  knot  for  the  bowl,  and 
a  more  slender  piece  for  the  tube.  A  lower  class  of  natives 
in  India  make  two  holes  of  unequal  length,  with  a  piece  of 
Btick,  in  a  clay  soil ;  the  holes  are  unequally  inclined  so  as  to 
meet  at  the  bottom ;  the  tobacco  is  placed  in  the  shorter 
hole,  and  the  smoker,  applying  his  mouth  to  the  longer, 
inhales  the  fumes  in  this  primitive  fashion.  The  pipes  used 
for  opium-smoking  in  various  parts  of  the  East  have  small 
bowls ;  the  drug  is  too  costly  to  be  used  otherwise  than  in 
small  portions  at  a  time,  and  too  powerful  to  need  more  than 
11 


162  VARIETY  OF  PIPES. 

a  few  whiffs  to  produce  the  opium-smoker's  dreary  delirium. 
The  Tunisians  use  reeds  for  pipes.  Stone  pipes  are  found 
among  the  natives  of  Vancouver;  while  Strong  Bow,  the 
North  American  Indian  chief,  has  his  long  wooden  pipe  of 
peace,  decked  out  with  tassels  and  fringes,  but  with  an 
ominous-looking  sharp  steel  cutting  instrument  near  the  end 
most  remote  from  the  bowl. 

Chinese,  Japanese,  Phillipine  Islanders,  Madagascans,  Cen- 
tral Africans,  Algerine  Arabs,  Mexicans,  Paraguaj-ans, 
Siamese,  Tahitians,  South  American  Indians,  Mongols, 
Malays,  Tartars,  Turcomans,  as  well  as  the  nations  of  Europe 
and  the  chief  nations  of  Southern  Asia,  all  have  their  smok- 
ing-pipes,  plain  or  ornate,  as  the  case  may  be,  and  made  of 
wood,  reeds,  bamboo,  bone,  ivory,  stone,  earthenware,  glass, 
porcelain,  amber,  agate,  jade,  precious  metals  and  common 
metals,  according  to  the  civilization  of  the  country  and  the 
pecuniary  means  of  the  smoker. 

"The  French  clay  pipes  have  quite  a  special  character; 

they  are  well  made,  and 
great  ingenuity  is  shown 
in  the  preparation  of  the 
moulds  in  which  they  are 
pressed ;  but  being  mostly 
intended  for  a  class  of 
purchasers  who  prefer 
grotesque  ideas  to  refined 
taste,  the  bowls  are  often  ornamented  with  queer  shaped 
heads,  having  bead-like  eyes;  sometimes  imaginary  beings, 
sometimes  caricature  portraits  of  eminent  persons.  Where 
more  than  the  head  is  represented,  license  is  given  to  a 
certain  grossness  of  idea ;  but  this  is  not  a  general  charac- 
teristic. The  clay  of  which  these  French  pipes  are  made  is 
admitted  to  be  superior  to  that  of  England,  due  to  the  careful 
mixture  of  different  kinds,  and  to  skilful  manipulation. 

"We  need  not  say  much  about  Dutch  pipes  as  distinct 
articles  of  manufacture,  because  the  process  adopted  in  their 

Production  are  pretty  much  like  those  in  use  elsewhere, 
'he  Dutch  are  famous  clay-pipe  smokers,  not  countenancing 
the  cigar  so  much  as  their  neighbors  the  Belgians,  nor  the 
meerschaum  so  largely  as  their  German  neighbors  on  the 
Rhine  frontier.     A  notable  bit  of  sharp  practice  is  on  record 


FANCY    PIPES. 


mSTORY  OF  PIPES.  163 

in  connexion  with  tlie  pipc-smolccrs  of  Holland — a  dodge 
only  to  be  justified  on  the  equivocal  maxini  that  all  is  fair  in 
trade  provided  it  just  keeps  within  the  margin  we  need  not 
speak.  A  ])ipe  manufactory  was  established  in  Flanders 
about  the  middle  of  the  last  century, 

"The  Dutch  makers,  alarmed  at  the  competition  which  this 
tln-eatened,  cunningly  devised  a  stratagem  for  nipping  it  in 
the  bud.  They  freighted  a  large  Morn-out  ship  with  an 
enormous  quantity  of  pipes  of  their  own  make,  sent  it  to 
Ostend,  and  wrecked  it  there.  By  the  nmnicipal  laws  of 
that  city  the  wreck  became  public  property  ;  the  pipes  were 
sold  at  prices  so  ridiculously  low  that  the  town  was  glutted 
with  the  commodity  ;  the  new  Flemish  factory  was  thereby 
paralyzed,  ruined,  and  closed. 

The  Turks  (especially  those  of  the  lower  orders)  use  a 
kind  of  clay  pipe  made  of  red  earth  decorated  with  gilding. 
The  stem  of  the  pipe  is  made  from  a  branch  of  jasmine, 
cherry  tree  or  maple  and  is  sufficiently  long  to  rest  on  the 
floor  when  used  by  the  smoker.  A  writer  in  the  Tobacco 
Plant  says  of  Old  English  Clay  pipes : 

"  Of  all  the  various  branches  of  the  subject  of  tobacco, 
that  of  the  history  of  pipes  is  one  of  the  most  interesting, 
and  one  that  deserves  every  attention  that  can  possil)ly  be 
given.  Whether  considered  fethnographically,  historically, 
geographically,  or  archsBologically,  pipes  present  food  for 
speculation  and  research  of  at  least  equal  importance  to  any 
other  set  of  objects  that  can  be  brought  forward.  Some 
branches  of  the  subject  have  already  been  treated  in  these 
columns,  and  others,  in  what  is  intended  shall  follow,  M'ill 
hereafter  be  discussed.  The  present  article  will  be  devoted 
to  '  Fairy  Pipes '  and  the  history  of  the  earliest  pipes  of  this 
country.  Smoking  is  an  old  and  venerable  institution  in 
this  kingdom  of  ours,  and  dates  far  back  beyond  the  intro- 
duction of  tobacco  to  our  shores.  Long  before  Sir  Walter 
Italei";h  was  thouijht  of,  there  is  reason  to  believe  herbs  and 
leaves  of  one  kind  or  other — coltsfoot,  yarrow,  mouse-lax, 
sword-grass,  dandelion,  and  other  plants,  and  even  dried 
cow-dung — were  smoked  for  one  ailment  or  other,  and  in 
some  instances  for  relaxation  and  pleasure,  and  thus,  no 
doubt,  became  habitually  used.  These  are  still,  in  some  of 
our  rural  districts,  smoked  by  people  as  cures  for  various 
ailments,  and  are  considered  not  only  highly  efficacious  but 
very  pleasant.     I  have  known  these  or  other  herbs  smoked 


164  ANCIENT  HABIT  OF  SMOKING. 

tlirongli  a  stick  from  wliicli  the  pith  had  been  removed,  the 
bowl  being  formed  of  a  lump  of  clay  moulded  by  the  lingers 

at  the  time,  a  n  d. 
baked  in  the  house- 
hold fire. 

"The  small  branch 
es  of  the  elder  tree,  oi 
sometimes  the  stem 
o  f  the  briar  and 
bramble,  are  what  I 

have  seen  used,  but 

CLAY  AND  REED  PIPES.  sven  tlio  Stem  of  the 

hemlock  and  keckse 
are  sometimes  brought  into  requisiton  for  the  purpose. 

"  1  believe  that  long  before  the  time  Dr.  Wilson  states  on 
the  authority-  of  Sharpe,  that  it  was  common  within  memory, 
for  the  old  wives  of  Annandale  to  smoke  a  dried  white  moss 
gathered  on  the  neighboring  moors,  which  they  declared  to 
be  much  sweeter  than  tobacco,  and  to  have  been  in  use 
long  before  the  American  weed  was  heard  of ;  before  Sir 
Walter  Raleigh  Avooed  and  won  Elizabeth  Throgmorton,  or 
Sir  Richard  Granville  voyaged  to  Virginia  with  Masters 
Ralph  Layne,  Thomas  Candish,  John  Arundell,  Master 
Stukely,  Breinize,  Vincent,  Heryot,  and  John  Clarke;  before 
Sir  Francis  Drake  made  his  first  voyage,  or  the  Spanish 
Armada  was  dreamed  of;  before  Sir  John  Hawkins,  Captain 
Price,  Coft,  Keat  or  others  for  whom  the  honor  of  the 
introduction  of  tobacco  has  been  claimed,  drew  breath — 
smoking  was  to  some  extent  indulged  in  by  our  forefathers 
and  (still  medicinally,  of  course)  in  this  country.  In  mediae- 
val times,  when  the  Ceramic  art  was  but  little  practiced,  and 
■when  all  the  domestic  vessels  that  were  produced  were  of 
the  rudest  and  coarsest  character  both  in  material,  form,  and 
decoration,  it  is  not  to  be  expected  that  pipes  for  tlie  smok- 
ing of  herbs  would  be  manufactured  as  a  matter  of  sale,  and 
those  of  the  people  who  wished  ior  such  an  indulgence  would 
naturally  be  thrown  on  their  own  primitive  resources  such  as 
I  have  described,  for  instruments  for  the  purpose. 

"A  portion  of  a  very  I'ude  pipe-head,  formed  of  common 
red  clay — a  lump  of  clay  moulded  b}'  hand,  and  ornamented 
with  small  circles  pressed  into  it  as  from  the  end  of  a  stick — 
has  come  under  my  notice,  as  have  also  others  of  an  equally 
primitive  character,  found  in  different  parts  of  this  kingdom. 
These  I  have  no  hesitation  in  ascribing  to  a  pre-Raleigh 


FAIRY  PIPES.  165 

period.  It  is  not  to  these,  however,  but  to  the  small  pipes 
formerly  used  in  this  kingdoui  for  smoking  tobacco,  and 
tobacco  alone,  that  I  wish  to  draw  attention.  Most  people, 
especially  in  the  Midland  and  Northern  counties  of  England, 
as  well  as  in  Scotland  and  Ireland,  will  have  heard  the  name 
of  Fairy  Pipes  applied  to  the  small,  old-fashioned,  and  some- 
times oddly-shaped  tobacco  pipes  which  are  not  infrequently 
turned  up  in  digging  and  plowing  and  other  operations.  To  ' 
these  and  the  general  forms  of  old  English  pipes,  I  purpose 
confining  myself  in  the  present  article.  Many  years  ago  I 
collected  together  a  large  number  of  these  'Fairy  Pipes' 
from  all  parts  of  the  kingdom.  Since  then,  my  own  researches 
have,  with  the  aid  of  inquiries  carried  on  for  me,  enabled 
me  to  bring  forward  many  interesting  points,  so  as  to  verify 
dates  of  manufacture  and  more  fully  to  carry  out  their  classi- 
fication. Like  their  Irish  brethren  and  sisters,  English  people 
were  formerly  apt  to  ascribe  everything  unusually  small 
to  the  fairies,  and  anything  out  of  the  common  way  to  the 
people  of  very  remote  ages. 

"  Thus,  these  small  pipes  are  commonly  in  England  called 
*  fairy  pipes,'  or  '  Carl's  pipes,'  or  '  old  man's  pipes ;'  in  Ire- 
land, where  they  are  likewise  known  as  '  fairy  pipes,'  they 
are  also  called  ' Dane's  pipes ;'  and  in  Scotland,  Mhere  tlieir 
common  name  is  '  elf  pipes,'  or  '  elfin  pij^es,'  they  are,  in  like 
manner,  known  as  '  Celtic  pipes.'  They  are  also  sometimes 
named  '  Mab  pipes,'  or  '  Queen's  pipes,'  from  the  same  fairy 
majesty.  Queen  Mab.  Thus,  while  in  each  country  they  are 
ascribed  to  the  elfin  race — the  'small  people'  of  Coniisli 
folk-lore — their  secondary  names  attach  to  them  a  popular 
belief  in  their  extreme  antiquity.  Anything  apparently  old 
is  at  once, by  the  Irish,  set  down  to  the  '  Danes;'  by  the  Scots 
to  the  '  Celts;'  and  by  people  in  the  rural  districts  of  our  own 
country  to  the  'carls,'  or  '  old  men  ' — carl  being  indicative  of 
extreme  antiquity.  In  Ireland,  the  pipes  ai-e  believed  to 
have  belonged  to  the  cluricaunes — a  kind  of  Mild,  ungovern- 
able, mischievous  fairy-demon — who  were  held  in  awe  liy  the 
*pisantry  ;'  and  whenever  found,  these  pipes  were,  with  much 
superstitious  feeling,  immediately  broken  up,  so  as  to  destroy 
and  break  up  the  spell  their  finding  might  have  cast  around 
the  finder.  But  it  was  not  only  among  the  peasantry  that 
this  belief  in  the  extreme  antiquity  of  tobacco  pipes  existed. 

"Serious  essays  Avere  written  to  prove  their  pre-historic 
origin,  and  to  claim  for  them  a  history  that  in  our  d;iy  reads 
as  arrant  nonsense.     In  1784,  a  short  pipe  was  asserted  to 


IQQ  BURIED  PIPES. 

have  been  found  between  the  jaws  of  the  skull  of  an  ancient 
Milesian  exhumed  at  Bannockstown,  county  Kildare.  Upon 
this  discovery,  an  elaborate  and  learned  paper  was  written  in 
the  'Authologia  Hibernica,'  setting  forth  this  pipe  as  a 
proof  of  the  use  of  tobacco  in  Ireland  long  before  that  coun- 
try was  invaded  by  the  Danes.  This  pipe  has  been  proved 
by  comparison  to  be  probably  quite  late  in  the  reign  of 
Elizabeth.  They  also  have  a  more  modern  pipe,  the  stem  of 
which  describes  one  or  more  circles,  while  another  is  tied  in 
a  knot,  yet  allows  a  free  passage  of  air.     At  another  time, 

in  opening  an  Anglo-Saxon 
grave  mound,  some  of  the 
men  employed  came  across 
a  fairy  pipe  which  evidently 
had  rolled  down  from  among 
the  surface-soil,  and,  being 
FAIRY  PIPES.  turned  out  in  juxtaposition 

with  undoubted  Anglo-Saxon  remains,  was  immediately  set 
down  by  the  learned  director  of  the  proceedings  as  a  relic  of 
that  period.  At  another  time  I  had  brought  to  me,  as  a 
great  curiosity,  two  '  Roman  pipes,'  as  I  was  informed — the 
Unders  jumping  to  the  conclusion  that  because  they  had  dug 
them  up  at  little  Chester  (the  Roman  station  Derventio),  they 
must  be  Roman  pipes !  I  believe  they  expected  to  receive  a 
large  sum  from  these  relics :  how  grievously  they  were  dis- 
appointed I  need  not  tell.  Instances  of  this  kind  are  far 
from  rare. 

"  I  remember  a  man  once  bringing  me  some  fragments  of 
Roman  pottery  and  other  things  of  the  same  period,  which 
he  had  turned  up  in  the  course  of  excavations,  and  among 
them  was  a  Tobacco  stopper  formed  of  a  Sacheverell  medal ! 
and  a  George  II.  half-penny,  all  of  which  he  was  ready  to 
Bwear  he  had  found  "  all  of  a  heap  together,"  inside  a  hypo- 
caust  tile,  which,  on  examination,  certainly  had  remained  in 
sittt  from  Romano-British  times !  The  cupidity  of  a  man 
had  evidently  led  him  to  collect  together  these  odds  and 
ends,  and  try  to  turn  them  to  profitable  account.  Some 
twenty  years  ago,  a  large  number  of  "  elfin  pipes  "  were  dug 
up  at  Bomington,  near  Edinburgh,  along  with  a  quantity  of 
placks  or  bodies  of  James  VI.,  which  thus  gave  trustworthy 
evidence  of  their  true  date.  Others  were  found  in  the 
ancient  cemetery  at  North  Berwick,  adjoining  to  which  is  a 
email  Romanesque  building  of  the  Twelfth  Century,  close 
upon  the  shore.     Within  the  last  half-century,  the  sea  has 


JASMINE  PIPES.  167 

made  very  great  inroads  upon  this  ancient  burial-place, 
carrying  off  a  considerable  ruin,  and  exposing  the  skeletons, 
and  bringing  to  light  many  interesting  relics  at  almost  every 
epring-tide.  Among  these,  many  pipes  have  been  washed 
down.  A  similar  circumstance  has  occurred  on  the  seashore 
at  Hoy  Lake,  Cheshire,  where  several  "  fairy  pipes "  have 
been  found. 

"  Notices  of  several  discoveries  occur.  Dr.  Wilson  says,  in 
the  statistical  accounts  of  Scotland,  many  of  which  are  sug- 
gestive of  a  pre-Raleigh  period.  Thus, '  in  an  ancient  British 
encampment  in  the  parish  of  Kirk  Michael,  Dumfriesshire, 
on  the  farm  of  Gilrig,  a  number  of  pipes  of  burnt  clay  were 
dug  up,  with  heads  smaller  than  the  modern  tobacco-pipes, 
swelled  at  the  middle  and  straighter  at  the  top.  Again,  in 
the  vicinity  of  a  group  of  standing  stones  at  Cairney  Mount, 
in  the  parish  of  Carluke  Lanarkshire,  a  celt  or  stone  hatchet, 
elfin  bolts  (flint  and  bone  arrow-heads),  elfin  pipes,  numerous 
coins  of  the  Edwards  and  of  later  date,  and  other  things  are 
all  stated  to  have  been  found.'  An  example  is  also  recorded 
of  the  discovery  of  a  tobacco-pipe  in  sinking  a  pit  for  coal, 
at  Misk,  in  Ayrshire,  after  digging  through  many  feet  of 
sand.  All  these  notes  are  pregnant  with  significant  warn- 
ings of  the  necessity  for  cautious  discrimination  in  determin- 
ing the  antiquity  of  such  buried  relics." 

In  Turkey  the  jasmine  is  cultivated  for  the  purpose  of 
pipe  smoking.  Barillet  describes  the  growing  of  the  com- 
mon jasmine  near  Constantinople.     He  says  : 

"The  object  sought  is  a  long  straight  stem,  free  from 
leaves  and  side  branches.  For  this  purpose  the  plants  are 
grown  quickly  in  a  rich  soil,  and  drawn  up  by  being  grown 
in  a  sheltered  situation,  to  which  the  sun  has  little  access  at 
the  sides,  but  only  at  the  top.  Pinching  is  resorted  to,  and 
during  the  second  year's  growth  one  end  of  a  thread  is 
attached  to  the  top  of  the  jasmine  stem.  This  thread  passes 
over  a  pulley  attached  to  the  post  to  which  this  jasmine  is 
trained,  and  from  it  is  suspended  a  weight,  the  efiect  of 
which  is  to  keep  the  stem  always  in  a  vertical  direction. 
When  the  jasmine  stem  is  about  two  centimeters  (say  tliree 
quarters  of  an  inch)  in  diameter  a  cloth  is  wrapped  around 
it  to  prevent  access  of  dust  and  of  the  sun's  rays.  Twice  or 
thrice  in  the  year  the  stem  is  washed  with  citron-Avater, 
which  is  said  to  give  the  clear  color  so  much  esteemed. 
When  the  stem  has  acquired  a  length  of  some  fifteen  feet,  it 


168 


SMOKING  IN  ALGIERS. 


is  cut  down  and  perforated  by  the  workmen,  and  fitted  with 
a  terra-cotta  bow  and  an  amber  month-piece." 

Blackburn,  in  his  work  entitled  "Artists  and  Arabs,"  gives 
the  following  picture  of  life  and  manners  in  Algiers : — 

"  There  is  one  difficulty  here,  however,  for  the  artist — that 
of  finding  satisfactory  models.  You  can  get  one  at  last,  and 
here  is  her  portrait.  Her  costume,  when  she  throws  off  her 
haik  (and  with  it  a  tradition  of  the  Mohammedan  faith,  that 
forbids  her  to  show  her  face  to  an  unbeliever),  is  a  rich, 
loose,  crimson  jacket  embroidered  with  gold,  a  thin  white 
bodice,  loose  silk  trousers  reaching  to  the  knee  and  fastened 
round  the  waist  by  a  magnificent  sash  of  various  colors,  red 
morocco  slippers,  a  profusion  of  rings  on  her  little  fingers, 
and  bracelets  and  anklets  of  gold  filagree  work.     Through 


FEMALE   SMOKING    IN    ALGIERS. 


her  waving  black  hair  are  twined  strings  of  coins  and  the 
folds  of  a  silk  handkerchief,  the  hair  falling  at  the  back  in 
plaits  below  the  waist.  She  is  not  beautiful,  she  is  scarcely 
interesting  in  expression,  and  she  is  decidedly  unstead)'.  She 
seems  to  have  no  more  power  of  keeping  herself  in  one  posi- 
tion or  of  remaining  in  one  part  of  the  room,  or  even  of  being 
quiet,  than  a  humming-top.  The  whole  thing  is  an  unutter- 
able bore  to  her,  for  she  does  not  even  reap  the  reward— her 
father,  or  husband,  or  other  male  attendant  always  taking 
the  money.  She  is  petite,  constitutioually  phlegmatic,  and 
as  fat  as  her  parents  can  manage  to  make  her ;  she  has  small 


SMOKING  IN  AFRICA.  169 

hands  and  feet,  large  rolling  e3'es — the  latter  made  to  appear 
artificially  large  by  the  application  of  henna  or  antimony 
black ;  her  attitudes  are  not  ungraceful,  but  there  is  a  want 
of  character  about  her,  and  an  utter  abandonment  to  the 
situation,  peculiar  to  all  her  race.  In  short,  her  movements 
ai-e  more  suggestive  of  a  little  caged  animal  that  had  better 
be  petted  and  caressed,  or  kept  at  a  safe  distance,  according 
to  her  humor.  She  does  one  thing — she  smokes  incessantly, 
and  makes  cigarettes  with  a  skill  and  rapidity  which  are 
wonderful.  Her  age  is  thirteen,  and  she  has  been  married 
six  months ;  her  ideas  appear  to  be  limited  to  three  or  four, 
and  her  pleasures,  poor  creature,  are  equally  circumscribed. 
She  had  scarcely  ever  left  her  father's  house,  and  had  never 
spoken  to  a  man  until  her  marriage.  There  seems  to  be  in 
the  Moorish  nature  a  wonderful  sense  of  harmony  and  con- 
trasts of  color.  Two  Orientals  will  hardly  walk  dow^n  a 
street  side  by  side  unless  the  colors  of  their  costumes  har- 
monize. You  find  a  negress  selling  oranges  or  citrons;  an 
Arab  boy  with  red  fez  and  white  turban,  carrying  purple 
fruit  in  a  basket  of  leaves — always  the  right  juxtaposition  of 
colors.  The  sky  furnishes  them  a  superb  background  of  deep 
blue,  and  the  repose  of  these  solemn  Orientals,  who  sit  here 
like  bronze  statues,  save  that  they  smoke  incessantly,  inspires 
you  with  a  curious  respect.  They  are  men  who  believe  in 
fate — what  need  that  they  should  make  haste?" 

In  Africa  the  pipes  are  made  of  clay  and  horn,  and  are 
mostly  rude  affairs,  but  well  suited  to  their  ideas  of  imple- 
ments used  for  holding  tobacco.     King  gives  the  following 
*  description  of  smoking  among  them: — 

"A  party  of  headmen  and  older  warriors,  seated  cross- 
legged  in  their  tents,  ceremoniously  smoked  the  daghapipe, 
a  kind  of  hookah,  made  of  bullock's  horn,  its  downward 
point  filled  with  water,  and  a  reed  stem  let  into  the  side, 
surmounted  by  a  rough  bowl  of  stone,  which  is  filled  with 
the  dagha,  a  species  of  hemp,  very  nearly,  if  not  tlic  same,  as 
the  Indian  bang.  Each  individual  receives  it  in  turn,  opens 
his  jaws  to  their  full  extent,  and  placing  his  lips  to  the  wide 
mouth  of  the  horn,  takes  a  few  pulls  and  passes  it  on. 
Retaining  the  last  draught  of  smoke  in  his  mouth,  which  he 
fills  with  a  decoction  of  bark  and  water  from  a  calabash,  he 
squirts  it  on  tlie  ground  by  his  side  througli  a  long  ornamented 
tube  in  his  left  hand,  performing  thereon,  by  the  aid  of  a 
reserved  portion  of  the  liquid,  a  sort  of  boatswain's  whistle, 


170  DEFENCE  OF  SMOKING. 

complacently  regarding  the  soap-like  bubbles,  tbe  joint  pro- 
duction of  himself  and  neighbor.  It  appeared  to  be  a  sign 
of  special  friendliness  and  kindly  feeling  to  squirt  into  the 
same  hole." 

We  give  an  engraving  of  a  kind  of  pipe  used  by  the 
natives  of  interior  Africa.  It  is  made  of  clay,  and  holds  but 
a  small  portion  of  the  weed.     The  natives  are  great  smokers 

and  indulge  in  it  almost 
constantly,  but  their  love 
for  it  can  hardly  exceed 
that  of  the  more  hardy 
Laplanders,  who  are 
AFRICAN  PIPE.  described    as     "  passion- 

ately fond  of  the  plant." 
Nothing  is  so  indispensable  as  tobacco  to  their  existence.  A 
Laplander  who  cannot  get  Tobacco  sucks  chips  of  a  barrel  or 
pieces  of  anything  else  which  has  contained  it.  Tobacco 
gives  the  Laplanders  a  pleasure  which  often  rises  to  ecstacy. 
They  both  chew  and  smoke,  and  they  are  certainly  the  dirti- 
est chewers  in  the  world.  When  they  chew  they  spit  in 
their  hands,  then  raise  them  to  their  nose  that  they  may 
inhale  from  the  saliva  the  irritating  principles  of  the  plant. 
Thus  they  satisfy  two  senses  at  the  same  time.  They  regu- 
larly smoke  after  their  meals.  If  their  supply  of  Tobacco 
falls  short,  they  sit  down  in  a  circle  and  pass  the  pipe  round, 
80  that  every  one  in  his  turn  may  have  a  whiff.* 

"  A  Painter's  Camp  in  the  Highlands  "  defends  the  custom 
of  smoking  in  the  following  well  chosen  words : 

"People  who  don't  smoke — especially  ladies — are  exceed- 
ingly unfair  and  unjust  to  those  who  do.  The  reader  has,  I 
daresay,  amongst  his  acquaintances  ladies  who,  on  hearing 
any  habitual  cigar-smoker  spoken  of,  are  always  ready  to 
exclaim  against  the  enormit}'  of  such  an  expensive  and  use- 
less indulgence;  and  the  cost  of  Tobacco-smoking  is  generally 
cited  by  its  enemies  as  one  of  the  strongest  reasons  for  its 
general  discontinuance.     One  would  imagine,  to  hear  these 

♦Reynard,  In  his  "TraTels  In  Lapland,"  says  of  the  use  of  tobacco :  "We  Interrogated  our 
Laplander  upon  many  subjects.  We  asked  hlra  whathe  had  given  his  wife  at  thoir  marriase. 
He  told  us  that  she  had  been  very  expensive  to  him  during  his  courtahlp,  having  cost  him 
two  pounds  weight  of  tobacco  and  four  or  five  pints  of  brandy." 


TEA  AND  TOBACCO.  171 

people  talk,  that  smoking  was  the  only  selfish  indulgence  in 
the  world.  When  people  argue  in  this  strain,  I  immediately 
assume  the  offensive.  I  roll  back  the  tide  of  war  right  into 
the  enemy's  intrenched  camp  of  comfortable  customs;  I 
attack  the  expensive  and  unnecessary  indulgences  of  ladies 
and  gentlemen  who  do  not  smoke.  I  take  cigar-smoking  as 
an  expense  of,  say,  half-a-crown  a-day,  and  pipe-smoking  at 
threepence. 

"  I  then  compare  the  cost  of  these  indulgences  with  the 
cost  of  other  indulgences  not  a  whit  more  necessary,  which 
no  one  ever  questions  a  man's  right  to  if  he  can  pay  for 
them.  There  is  luxurious  eating,  for  instance.  A  woman 
who  has  got  the  habit  of  delicate  eating  will  easily  consume 
dainties  to  the  amount  of  half-a-crown  a-day,  which  cannot 
possibly  do  her  any  good  beyond  the  mere  gratification  of 
the  palate.  And  there  is  the  luxury  of  carriage-keeping,  in 
many  instances  very  detrimental  to  the  health  of  women,  by 
entirely  depriving  them  of  the  use  of  their  legs.  Now,  you 
cannot  keep  a  carriage  a-going  quite  as  cheaply  as  a  pipe. 
Many  a  fine  meerschaum  keeps  up  its  cheerful  fire  on  a 
Bhilling  a-week.  I  am  not  advocating  a  sumptuary  law  to 
put  down  carriages  and  cookery ;  I  desire  only  to  say  that 
people  who  indulge  in  these  expensive  and  wholly  superflu- 
ous luxuries,  have  no  right  to  be  so  hard  on  smokers  for 
their  indulgence. 

"  Nearly  every  gentleman  who  drinks  good  wine  at  all  will 
drink  the  value  of  half-a-crown  a-day.  The  ladies  do  not 
blame  him  for  this.  Half-a-dozen  glasses  of  good  wine  are 
not  thought  an  extravagance  in  any  man  of  fair  means,  but 
women  exclaim  when  a  man  spends  the  same  amount  in 
gmoking  cigars.  The  French  habit  of  coffee-drinking  and 
the  English  habit  of  tea-drinking  are  also  cases  in  point. 
They  are  quite  as  expensive  as  ordinary  Tobacco-smoking, 
and,  like  it,  defensible  only  on  the  ground  of  the  pleasurable 
sensation  they  communicate  to  the  nervous  system.  But 
these  habits  are  so  universal  that  no  one  thinks  of  attacking 
them,  unless  now  and  then  some  persecuted  smoker  in  seli- 
defence. 

"  Tea  and  tobacco  are  alike  seductive,  delicious,  and  dele- 
terious. The  two  indulgences  will,  perhaps,  become  equally 
necessaiy  to  the  English  world.  It  is  high  treason  to  the 
English  national  feeling  to  say  a  word  against  tea,  which  is 
now  60  universally  recognized  as  a  national  beverage  that 
people  forget  it  comes  from  China,  and  that  it  is  both  alien 


172  CHINESE  PIPES. 

and  heathen.  Still,  I  mean  no  offence  when  I  put  tea  in  the 
same  category  with  Tobacco.  Now,  who  thinks  of  lecturing 
us  on  the  costliness  of  tea?  And  yet  it  is  a  mere  superfluity. 
The  habit  of  taking  it  as  we  do  is  unknown  across  the 
Channel,  and  was  quite  unknown  amongst  ourselves  a  very 
little  time  ago,  when  English  people  were  no  less  proud  of 
themselves  and  their  customs  than  they  are  now,  and  perhaps 
with  equally  good  reason,  A  friend  of  mine  tells  me  that 
he  smokes  every  day,  at  a  cost  of  about  sixpence  a-week. 
iS'ow,  I  would  like  to  know  in  what  other  way  so  much 
enjoyment  is  to  be  bought  for  sixpence.  Fancy  the  satisfac- 
tion of  spending  sixpence  a-week  in  wine!  It  is  well 
enough  to  preach  about  the  selfishness  of  this  expenditure; 
but  we  all  spend  more  selfishly,  and  we  all  love  pleasure,  and 
I  should  very  much  like  to  see  that  cynic  whose  pleasures 
cost  less  than  sixpence  a-week." 

The  Egyptian  pipes,  especially  those  of  modern  date  are 


EGYPTIAN    PIPES. 


exceedingly  fanciful  in  shape  and  resemble  somewhat  the  pipes 
used  by  the  Persians.  Many  of  them  are  made  of  clay  and 
are  sold  very  cheap.*  The  Chinese  use  a  variety  of  pipes 
but  all  of  them  have  small  bowls  for  the  tobacco.  Some  of 
their  pipes  are  made  of  brass  and  attached  to  the  pipe  is  a 
receptacle  for  water,  so  as  to  cool  the  smoke  before  it  passes 
into  the  mouth.  The  Japanese  use  both  copper  and  silver 
pipes,  most  of  them  similar  in  shape  and  size  to  those  used 
by  the  Chinese. 

A  writer  says  of  smoking  among  the  Japanese : 

*  Watlin  says  of  Bmoking  in  Egypt:  Tobacco  is  tolerated,  and  seems  to  become  more 
common  again,  though  a  smoker  is  generally  (li^liked  and  not  allowed  to  pcrfnriii  the  part 
of  Imam  or  rehearse,  of  the  prayers,  bitore  a  congregation.  Tlie  greater  part  of  the  people, 
howev  T.  detest  and  condemn  still  the  use  of  tohacc,",  and  I  remember  a  Shaumar  Redawry 
•who  assured  me  that  he  would  not  carry  that  aboiuiuable  herb  on  his  Camel,  even  if  a  loaa 
Of  gold  were  given  him." 


SMOKING  IN  JAPAN.  I73 

"Let  ns  sit  down  to  a  good  Japanese  dinner — down  on  the 
floor.  Food  on  the  floor.  Fire  and  cigars  or  pipes  on  the 
floor.  Sit  on  yonr  heels,  waiting.  Enter  first  course — Fish- 
skin  sonp.  Smoke.  Third — Fish,  cake  and  bean-clieese. 
Smoke.  Fourth — Row  fish  and  horse-radisli.  Smoke. 
Fifth — Broiled  fish.     Smoke   again,     Sixth — Custard   soup. 

Smoke.  Seventh — Chicken  stew, 
turnips  and  onions.  Smoke  a  little. 
Eighth — Cuttle-fish,  wafer  cakes, 
Nipon  tea.  Here,  if  tired  you 
can  stop  at  the  end  of  about  two 
hours'  ankle-ache.  AH  is  cleanly, 
well  spiced  with  talk,  and  served 
with  the  utmost  politeness.  Sip- 
ping tea  may  be  substituted  for  the 
JAPANESE  PIPES.  Infinitesimal  whiffs  of  polite  smok- 

ing, A  grand  dinner  is  much  more 
elaborate ;  at  least,  so  far  as  the  variety  of  smokes  is  con- 
cerned.    After  dinner,  rest  and  smoke." 

An  English  writer  could  very  appropriately  call  this  a 
cloud  of  smoke  as  he  has  another  scene  herein   described. 

"  'Tis  all  smoke,  possibly,  but  what  cannot  we  discern, 
through  a  cloud  of  smoke  ?     Objects  dim,  but 

'  Thick  as  autumnal  leaves  that  strew  the  brooks 
In  Vallambrosa.' 

Be  the  medium  of  the  smoke  an  honest  *  churchwarden,'  a 
short  clay,  or  a  costly  meerschaum  ;  does  the  smoke  emanate 
from  a  refined  Havana,  a  neat  Manilla,  or  a  dainty  cigarette, 
such  as  we  are  at  this  moment  enjoying  as  a  sequel  to  a  mod- 
est breakfast,  'tis  all  smoke." 

We  have  thus  given  a  somewhat  lengthy  description  of  the 
custom  and  implements  used  in  smoking,  from  the  first  dis- 
covery of  the  plant  until  now,  and  turn  to  other  implements 
used  in  connection  with  the  pipe.  We,  however,  give  the 
following  from  Cop's  "  Tobacco  Plant,"  descriptive  of  the 
part  played  by  tobacco  on  the  stage  two  centuries  ago : 

"The  'Return  from  Parnassus'  was  published  anony-' 
mously,  and  the  copy  I  have  used  is  dateless.  It  was  '  publicly 
acted  by  the  students  of  St.  John's  College  in  Cambridge.' 
In  Act  I.,  Scene  2d,  characters  are  given  of  Spenser,  Ben 
Jonson,  Marlow,  Drayton,  Marston  and  Shakespeare, 
together  with  some  other  of  the  known  poets  and  dramatists 


;1Y4  THE  DEVIL  AND  TOBACCO. 

of  the  Elizabethan  age.  It  contains  many  references  to 
tobacco.  In  '  Act  IV.,  Scene  1st,'  the  characters  are  thus 
placed :  '  Sir  Kodericke  and  Prodigo  at  one  corner  of  the 
stage,  Eecorder  and  Amaretto  at  the  other.  Two  pages 
scouring  of  Tobacco  pipes.'  Actual  smoking  from  tobacco- 
pipes  was  introduced  on  the  stage  afterwards  ;  and  instances 
from  the  early  dramas  have  been  given  by  the  writers  on 
tobacco  history.  In  the  second  scene  of  Act  III.  smoking  is 
alluded  to  as  one  of  the  marks  of  the  current  man  of  fashion, 
and  is  coupled  with  that  of  wearing  love-locks,  which  was  to 
prove  such  a  scandal  to  the  Puritans.  '  He  gins  to  follow 
fashions.  He  wore  thin  sireduelt  in  a  smooky  roofe,  must 
take  tobacco  and  must  weare  a  locke.'  '  Work  for  Chimney 
Sweepers,  or  a  Warning  against  Tobacconists,  by  J.  H.,'  was 
published  in  quarto  in  the  year  1602. 

"It  was  answered  in  the  same  year  by  the  anonymous 

*  Defence  of  Tobacco,'  a  quarto  of  seventy  pages.  The 
author  of  the  attack  followed  the  line  of  King  James,  or,  I 
should  rather  say,  showed  him  the  line  to  take,  for  the 
King's  '  Counterblast'  did  not  appear  until  he  had  been  King 
of  England  for  some  years.  The  book  is  divided  into  sec- 
tions, each  section  being  called  'A  Reason.'     The  seventh 

*  Reason'  against  the  use  of  tobacco  is,  that  the  devil  is  the 
discoverer  and  suggester  of  smoking.  '  It  was  first  used  and 
practised,'  says  J.  H.,  'by  devils,  priests,  and,  therefore,  not 
to  be  nsed  by  us  Christians.  That  the  devil  was  the  first 
author  hereof.  Monardus,  in  his  '  Treatise  of  Tabaeo.'  dooth 
sufficiently  witnesse,  saying:  The  Indian  priests,  who,  no 
doubt,  were  instruments  of  the  devil,  whom  they  serve,  even 
before  the}'^  answer  to  questions  propounded  to  them  by  their 
princes,  drinke  of  this  tobacco-fume,  with  the  vigour  and 
strength  whereof  they  fall  suddenly  to  the  ground  as  dead 
men,  remaining  so  according  to  the  quantity  of  smoke  that 
they  had  taken.  And  when  the  hearbe  hath  done  his  worke, 
they  revive  and  wake,  giving  answers  according  to  the  vissions 
and  illusions  which  they  saw  while  they  were  wrapt  in  that 
order.'  It  is  not  unlikely  that  J.  II. 's  authority  had  con- 
fused opium  with  tobacco. 

"  It  was  the  opinion  of  the  age  that  every  Pagan  deity  had 
a  real  existence  in  the  world  of  evil  spirits.  After  further 
quotations  of  Monardus,  to  prove  that  the  devil  is  'the 
author  of  Tobacco,  and  of  the  knowledge  thereof,'  J,  H. 
concludes  his  seventh  reason  by  declaring,  '  Wherefore  in 
mine   opinion   this  practice  is  more  to  be  excluded  of  us 


TOBACCO  ON  THE  STAGE.  175 

Cliristians,  who  follow  Veritie  and  Truth,  and  detest  and 
abhor  the  devil  as  a  lyar  and  deceiver  of  mankind.'  In  the 
first  year  of  this  century,  pipes  were  not  only  exhibited,  but 
were  used  upon  the  stage.  They  seem  at  first  to  have  been 
smoked,  not  during  '  the  induction.'  In  the  induction  to 
Ben  Jonson's  'Cynthia's  Kevels'  (1601),  the  Third  Child 
says:  'JSfow,  sir,  suppose  I  am  one  of  your  genteel  auditors, 
that  am  come  in,  having  paid  my  money  at  the  door,  with 
much  ado ;  and  here  take  my  place,  and  sit  down,  I  have  my 
three  sorts  of  tobacco  in  my  pocket,  my  light  by  me,  and 
thus  I  begin.'  The  Third  Child  thereupon  smokes;  but  it 
seems  as  if  the  smoking  on  the  stage  was  a  kind  of  protest 
against  a  prior  smoking  in  the  pit.  In  John  Webster's 
*  Malcontent,'  as  augmented  by  John  Marston  in  1604,  Sly 
says  in  the  introduction  :  '  Come,  coose,  (coz  or  goose !)  let's 
take  some  tobacco.' 

"  In  '  The  Puritan,  or  the  Widow  of  Watling  Street,' 
published  in  1607,  and  attributed  by  some  to  Shakespeare, 
tobacco-taking  or  tobacco-drinking  (as  smoking  was  then 
usually  called)  appears  no  longer  in  the  induction,  but  in  the 
play  itself,  Idle,  the  highwayman,  says  to  the  old  soldier, 
Skirmish,  'Have  j'ou  any  tobacco  about  you?'  Idle  being 
supplied,  smokes  a  pipe  on  the  stage.  These  extracts,  how- 
ever, may  have  been  cited  before,  together  with  others  of 
like  character  in  the  great  days  of  the  English  Drama. 
Pipes  continued  to  appear  upon  the  stage  until  its  abolition, 
(in  company  with  the  Prayer  Book)  by  the  Puritan  rulers. 
They  reappeared  on  the  stage  of  the  Restoration.  In 
Thomas  Shadwell's  '  Virtues '  (1676), — to  take  one  instance, — 
Mirando  and  Clarinda  fling  away  Snarl's  cane,  hat  and  peri- 
wig, and  break  his  pipes,  because  he  '  takes  nasty  tobacco 
before  ladies.' " 

There  is  printed  evidence,  however,  in  this  same  period  to 
show  not  only  that  all  the  English  ladies  of  the  time  were 
not  enemies  to  tobacco,  but  that  some  of  them  were  them- 
selves smokers.  In  1674  an  anonymous  quarto  appeared 
under  the  title  of  "  The  Women's  Petition  against  Cofiee." 
It  was  a  protest  against  the  growing  influence  of  the  coffee- 
houses in  seducing  men  away  from  their  homes  to  sit  together 
making  mischief  and  drinking  "  this  boiled  soot."  It  was 
answered  in  the  same  year  by  "  The  Men's  Answer  to  the 
Women's  Petition."     After  speaking  of    the   providential 


176  TOBACCO  BOXES. 

introduction  of  coffee  into  England  in  the  midst  of  the 
Puritan  epoch,  when  Englishmen  wanted  some  kind  of  drink 
which  would  "  at  once  make  them  sober  and  merrj,"  the 
writer  glorifies  the  coffee-house. 

John  Taylor,  *'  the  Water  Poet,"  made  a  kind  of  compro- 
mise when  he  attributed  the  introduction  of  tobacco,  not  to 
the  devil,  but  to  Pluto, — "Pluto's  Proclamation  concerning 
his  Infernal  Pleasure  for  the  Propagation  of  Tobacco."  It 
appears  in  the  folio  collection  of  his  works  of  the  year  1628. 
The  confusion  of  tobacco  with  opium  and  such  destructive 
drugs  seems  to  have  been  common  with  the  travelers  of  the 
Sixteenth  and  Seventeenth  centuries.  Camerarius,  in  his 
"Historical  Meditations,"  translated  into  English  by  John 
Malle  (folio,  1621),  speaks  of  tobacco  as  to  be  seen  growing  in 
many  gardens  throughout  Europe.  He  quotes  Jerome 
Benzo  as  saying  that  in  Hispaniola  "there  be  among  them 
some  that  take  so  much  of  it,  as  their  senses  being  all  over- 
come and  made  drunke  with  the  same,  they  fell  down  flat  to 
the  ground  as  if  they  were  dead,  and  there  lie  without  sense 
or  feeling  most  part  of  the  day  or  of  the  night." 

The  tobacco-box,  during  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  was  no 
unimportant  part  of  a  dandy's  outfit ;  sometimes  a  pouch  or 
bag  was  used.  Tobacco-boxes  came  into  general  use  in 
England  soon  after  the  introduction  of  tobacco,  and  were 
much  sought  after  by  all  who  "  drank  "  tobacco.  Marston, 
the  Duke  of  New  Castle,  and  other  dramatists,  alluded  to  the 
tobacco-box  as  a  part  of  the  smoker's  outfit ;  thus  in  the  play 
of  "The  Man  in  the  Moone"  (1609),  one  character,  in 
answer  to  an  inquiry  who  one  of  the  company  is,  answers : 
"  I  know  not  certainly,  but  I  think  he  cometh  to  play  you  a 
fit  of  mirth,  for  I  behelde  pipes  in  his  pocket ;  now  he 
draweth  forth  his  tinder-box  and  his  touchwood,  and  falleth 
to  his  tacklings;  sure  his  throate  is  on  fire,  the  smoke  flyeth 
Eo  fast  from  his  mouth ;  blesse  his  beard  with  a  bason  of 
water,  lest  he  burn  it;  some  terrible  thing  he  taketh,  it 
maketh  him  pant  and  look  pale,  and  hath  an  odious  taste,  he 
Bpitteth  BO  after  it. 


TOBACCO  BOXES. 


177 


The  tobacco  boxes  of  the  Seventeenth  Century  were  much 
larger  than  those  of  the  present.  Some  of  them  held  a 
pound  of  tobacco  besides  space  for  a  number  of  pipes. 

Many  of  theui  were  made  of  brass  while  others  were  fash- 
ioned from  horn : 

"  There  is  also  a  simple  and  ingenious  tobacco-box  used 
frequently  in  ale-houses,  '  which  keeps  its  own  account,'  with 
each  smoker  and  acts  also  as  a  money-box.  It  is  kept  on 
parlor  tables  for  the  use  of  all  comers ;  but  none  can  obtain 
a  pipe-full,  till  the  money  is  deposited  through  a  hole  in  the 
lid.  A  penny  dropped  in,  causes  a  bolt  to  unfasten,  and 
allow  the  smoker  to  help  himself  from  a  drawer  full  of 
tobacco.  His  honor  is  trusted  so  far  as  not  to  take  more  than 
his  pipe-full,  and  he  is  reminded  of  it  by  a  verse  engraved 
on  the  lid : — 

'  The  custom  is,  before  you  fill, 
'  To  put  a  penny  in  the  till.' " 

Some  of  the  tobacco  boxes  were  made  of  silver  and  beau- 
tifully engraved  with  fancy  sketches,  historical  scenes,  or 


ENGRAVED    BOXES. 


representations  of  personages,  landscapes,  flowers,  etc.  The 
late  Duke  of  Sussex  had  a  large  collection  of  pipes  and 
tobacco  boxes, 

A  journal  describing  them  says  of  the  collection  :  "  The 
Duke  of  Sussex  had  a  wonderful  collection  of  these,  the 
values  attached  to  some  of  them  being  almost  fabulous.  One 
example  from  the  work-shop  of  Vienna — long  celebrated  for 
this  description  of  art, — represented  the  combat  of  Hector 
and  Achilles,  the  cover  of  the  pipe  being  a  golden  hemlet 
cristatus  of  the  Grecian  type."     Swiss  and  Tyrolean  artists 


l^g  A  SONG. 

also  produce  exquisite  carving,  but  use  wood  as  a  material ; 
and  in  the  famous  collection  of  Baron  de  Watteville  will  be 
found  a  marvelous  piece  of  carving  representing  Bellero- 
pbon  overturning  tlie  Chimera.  But  French  pipes  are  the 
most  interesting  of  all  to  collectors,  from  the  fact  that  tobacco 
was  introduced  into  that  country  long  before  it  was  known 
in  England,  and  also  from  the  ingenuity  of  a  people  who  can 
give  interest  of  various  kinds  to  what  might  seem  a  simple 
and  prosaic  branch  of  manufacture.  In  the  sentiment  of  the 
following  lines  on  "  A  pipe  of  Tobacco"  by  John  Usher,  all 
lovers  of  the  plant  will  heartily  join: 

"Let  the  toper  regale  in  his  tankard  of  ale, 

Or  with  alcohol  moisten  his  thropple, 

Only  give  me  I  pray,  a  good  pipe  of  soft  clay, 

Nicely  tapered,  and  thin  in  the  stopple ; 

And  I  shall  puff,  puff,  let  who  will  say  enough, 

No  luxury  else  I'm  in  lack  o', 

No  malice  I  hoard,  'gainst  Queen,  Prince,  Duke  or  Lord, 

While  1  pull  at  my  pipe  of  Tobacco. 

"When  I  feel  the  hot  strife  of  the  battle  of  life, 
And  the  prospect  is  aught  but  enticin', 
Mayhap  some  real  ill  like  a  protested  bill, 
Dims  the  sunshine  that  tinged  the  horizon ; 
Only  let  me  puff,  puff, — be  they  ever  so  rough, 
All  the  sorrows  of  life  I  lose  track  o', 
The  mists  disappear,  and  the  vista  is  clear, 
With  a  soothing  mild  pipe  of  Tobacco. 

"  And  when  joy  after  pain,  like  the  sun  after  rain, 
Stills  the  waters,  long  turbid  and  troubled, 
That  life's  current  may  flow,  with  a  ruddier  gldw, 
And  the  sense  of  enjoyment  be  doubled, — 
Oh!  let  me  puff,  puff,  till  I  feel  quantum  suff, 
Such  luxury  still  I'm  in  lack  o'. 
Be  joy  ever  so  sweet,  it  would  be  incomplete, 
Without  a  good  pipe  of  tobacco. 

"  Should  my  recreant  muse, — Sometimes  apt  to  refuse 

The  guidance  of  bit  and  of  bridle. 

Still  blankly  demur,  spite  of  whip  and  of  spur, 

Unimpassioned,  inconstant,  or  idle ; 

Only  let  me  puff,  puff,  till  the  brain  cries  enough, 


TOBACCO  Jx\RS.  179 

Such  excitement  is  all  I'm  in  lack  o', 

And  the  poetic  vein  soon  to  fancy  gives  reign, 

Inspired  by  a  pipe  of  Tobacco. 

"  And  when  with  one  accord,  round  the  jovial  board, 

In  friendship  our  bosoms  are  glowing; 

While  with  toast  and  with  song  we  tlie  evening  prolong. 

And  with  nectar  the  goblets  are  flowing; 

Still  let  us  puff,  puff— be  life  smooth,  be  it  rough, 

Such  enjoyment  we're  ever  in  lack  o' : 

The  more  peace  and  goodwill  will  abound  as  we  fill 

A  jolly  good  pipe  of  Tobacco." 

The  tobacco  jar  is  another  accessory  of  more  recent  date 
than  tobacco  pipes  but  interesting  from  the  varieties  of  style 


TOBACCO    JARS. 


and  shapes.  The  finest  are  made  of  porcelain  and  are  lavish 
in  design  and  enrichment.  Of  all  the  articles  of  the  smokers' 
paraphernalia  none  however  exhibit  more  fanciful  designs 
than  Tobacco-stoppers  used  by  smokers  for  crowding  the 
tobacco  into  the  pipe  while  smoking.  The  author  of  "A 
Paper  of  Tobacco  "  says : 

"  This  wa3  the  only  article  on  which  the  English  smoker 
prided  himself.  It  was  made  of  various  materials — wood, 
bone,  ivory,  mother-of-pearl,  and  silver  :  and  tlie  forms  which 
it  assumed  were  exceedingly  diversified.  Out  of  a  collection 
of  upwards  of  thirty  tobacco-stoppers  of  difterent  ages,  from 
1688  to  the  present  time,  the  following  are  the  most  remark- 
able :  a  bear's  tooth  tipped  with  silver  at  the  bottom,  and 
inscribed  with  the  name  of  Captain  James  Kogers  of  the 


180  TOBACCO  STOPPERS. 

Happy  Return  -whaler,  1688  ;  Dr.  Henry  Sacheverel  in  full 
canonicals,  carved  in  ivory,  1710  ;  a  boat,  a  horse's  hind  leg, 
Puncli,  and  another  character  in  the  same  Drama,  to  wit :  his 
Satanic  majesty  ;  a  countryman  with  a  flail  ;  a  milkmaid ;  an 
emblem  of  Priopus;  Hope  and  Anchor;  the  Marquis  of 
Granby  ;  a  greyhound's  head  and  neck  ;  a  paviour's  rammer; 
Lord  Nelson ;  the  Duke  of  Wellington  ;  and  Bonaparte. 
The  tobacco-stopper  was  carried  in  the  pocket  or  attached  to 
a  ring:  worn  on  the  finger." 

In  Butler's  Hudibras  it  is  alluded  to  in  connection  with 
the  astronomer's  sign. 

" Bless  us !  quoth  he, 


It  is  a  planet  now  I  see ; 
And  if  I  err  not,  by  his  proper 
Figure  that's  like  tobacco-stopper, 
It  should  be  Saturn  I " 

In  James  Boswell's  "  Shrubs  of  Parnassus"  (1760)  a 
description  in  verse  of  the  various  kinds  of  tobacco-stoppers 
is  given : 

"  O !  let  me  grasp  thy  waist,  be  thou  of  wood 
Or  levigated  steel,  for  well  'tis  known 
Thy  habit  is  disease.     In  iron  clad 
Sometimes  thj'  feature  roughen  to  the  sight, 
And  oft  transparent  art  thou  seen  in  glass, 
Portending  frangibility.     The  son 
Of  laboring  mechanism  here  displays 
Exuberance  of  skill.     The  curious  knot, 
The  motley  flourish  winding  down  the  sides. 
And  freaks  of  fancy  pour  upon  the  view 
Their  complicated  charms,  and  as  tliey  please, 
Astonish.     While  with  glee  thy  touch  I  feel, 
No  harm  my  fingers  dread.     No  fractured  pipe 
I  ask,  or  splinters  aid,  wherewith  to  press 
The  rising  ashes  down.     Oh !  bless  my  hand, 
Chief  when  thou  com'st  with  hollow  circle  crowned 
With  sculptured  signet,  bearing  in  thy  womb 
The  treasured  Cork-screw.     Tlius  a  triple  service 
In  firm  alliance  may'st  thou  boast." 

ToLacco-stoppers  were  often  made  of  wood  from  some 
relic  like  a  celebrated  tree  or  mansion  which  gave  additional 


"WHAT  A  PIPE!' 


181 


value  by  its  historic  associations.     Taylor  alludes  to  several 

made  from  the  well  known  Glastonbury  thorn.     He  says : — 

"  I  saw  the  sayd  branch,  I  did  take  a  dead  sprigge  from  it, 


TOBACCO   STOPPERS. 

■wherewith  I  made  two  or  three  tobacco-stoftpers,  which  I 
brought  to  London." 

Pipes  and  tobacco-stoppers  have  often  been  favorite  testi- 
monials of  friendship  and  reward.     Fairholt  says  : — 

"  It  was  the  custom  daring  the  last  century  to  present 
country  churchwardens  with  tobacco-boxes,  after  the  faithful 
discharge  of  their  duties." 

The  following  lines  from  "  The  Tobacco  Leaf,"  penned  by 
some  favored  one  on  receiving  a  rare  pipe,  are  no  doubt  aa 
neat  as  the  object  that  called  them  forth  : — 

"  I  lifted  off  the  lid  with  anxious  care, 
Removed  the  wrappages,  strip  after  strip, 
And  when  the  hidden  contents  were  laid  bare, 
My  first  remark  was  :  "  Mercy,  what  a  pipe !  " 

A  pipe  of  symmetry  tliat  matched  its  size. 
Mounted  with  metal  bright — a  siglit  to  sec — 
With  the  rich  umber  hue  that  smokers  prize, 
Attesting  both  its  age  and  pedigree. 

A  pipe  to  make  the  royal  Freidrich  jealous. 
Or  the  great  Teufelsdrockh  with  envy  gripe ! 
A  man  should  hold  some  rank  above  liis  fellows 
To  justify  his  smoking  such  a  pipe  ! 


182  MUSINGS  OVER  A  PIPE. 

"What  country  gave  it  birth?    What  blest  of  cities 
Saw  it  first  kintlle  at  the  glowing  coal? 
What  happy  artist  murmured  "  Nunc  dimUtis" 
When  he  had  foshioned  this  transcendent  bowl ! 

Has  it  been  hoarded  in  a  monarch's  treasures? 
Was  it  a  gift  of  peace,  or  price  of  war? 
Did  the  great  Khalif  in  his  "  Houre  of  Pleasures," 
Wager  and  lose  it  to  the  good  Zaafar? 

It  may  have  soothed  mild  Spenser's  melancholy, 
While  musing  o'er  traditions  of  the  past, 
Or  graced  the  lips  of  brave  Sir  Walter  Raleigh, 
Ere  sage  King  Jamie  blew  his  "  Counterblast." 

Did  it,  safe  hidden  in  some  secret  cavern. 
Escape  that  monarch's  pipoclastic  ken? 
Has  Shakespeare  smoked  it  at  the  Mermaid  Tavern, 
Quaffing  a  cup  of  sack  with  rare  old  Ben? 

Ay,  Shakespeare  might  have  watched  his  vast  creation 
Loom  through  its  smoke — the  spectre-haunted  Thane, 
The  Sisters  at  their  ghostly  invocations. 
The  jealous  Moor  and  melancholy  Dane. 

Round  its  orbed  haze  and  through  its  mazy  ringlets, 

Titania  may  have  led  her  elfln  rout, 

Or  Ariel  fanned  it  with  his  gauzy  winglets, 

Or  Puck  danced  in  the  bowl  to  put  it  out. 

Vain  are  all  fancies  —questions  bring  no  answer ; 
The  smokers  vanish,  but  the  pipe  remains; 
He  were  indeed  a  subtle  necromancer. 
Could  read  their  records  in  its  cloudy  stains. 

Kor  this  alone  :  its  destiny  may  doom  it 
To  outlive  e'en  its  use  and  history — 
Some  ploughman  of  the  future  may  exhume  it 
From  soil  now  deep  beneath  the  eastern  sea. 

And,  treasured  by  some  antiquarian  Stuh'us, 
It  may  to  gaping  visitors  be  shown, 
Labelled  :  •'  The  symbol  of  some  ancient  Cultus, 
Conjecturally  Phallic,  but  unknown." 

Why  do  I  thus  recall  the  ancient  quarrel 

'Twixt  Man  and  Time,  that  marks  all  earthly  things? 


"  PUFFS  FROM  A  PIPE."  183 

Why  labor  to  re- word  the  hackneyed 'moral, 
Qg  <pv7i7.uvyev€y,  as  Homer  sings? 

For  this  :  Some  links  we  forge  are  never  broken : 
Some  feelings  claim  exemption  from  decay ; 
And  Love,  of  which  this  pipe  was  but  the  token, 
Shall  last,  though  pipes  and  smokers  pass  away." 

The  verse  that  has  been  written  in  praise  as  well  as  dis- 
praise of  the  "  Indian  Novelty  "would  of  itself  fill  a  volume 
of  no  "  mean  pretentions."  The  following  clever  lines  from 
The  Tobacco  Plant  entitled  "  Puffs  from  a  Pipe,"  convey 
much  advice  to  all  smokers  of  tobacco. 

Sage  old  friend !  with  judgment  ripe ; 
Come  and  join  me  in  a  pipe. 

Brother  student !  brother  joker, 
Thee  I  greet,  O  !  brother  smoker. 

Smoke,  O !  men  of  every  station. 
Every  climate,  every  nation. 

East  and  West,  and  South  and  North, 
Recognize  Tobacco's  worth. 

Red  man !  let  thy  warfare  cease  : 
Smoke  the  calumet  of  peace. 

Chinaman!  shun  opium-grief: 
Use  the  pure  Tobacco  leaf. 

Frenchmen !  no  more  foes  provoke  : 
Follow  arts  of  peace — and  smoke  ! 

German  victors  !  crowned  with  laurel, 
Smoke,  content ;  and  seek  no  quarrel. 

Americans  no  one  needs  bid 
To  blow  a  cloud,  or  take  a  quid. 

Though  rows  shake  Dame  Europa's  school, 
Johnny  Bull  smokes,  calm  and  cool. 

Toffy,  it  will  ease  thy  brain,  man  ! 
Smoke  and  snuff,  and  smoke  again,  man ! 


184  A  GOOD  THING. 

Paddy,  light  of  heart  and  gay, 
Smoke  thy  dhudeen  :  short  black  clay. 

Sawney,  on  thy  Hielen'  hill, 
Tak'  thy  sneishin' ;  tak'  thy  gill ! 

Tourist,  thou  hast  journey'd  far; 
Eest,  and  light  a  mild  cigar. 

Sailor,  from  the  stormy  seas. 
Take  a  quid,  and  take  thine  ease. 

"  Soldier  tired,"  put  off  thy  shako; 
Prepare  to  fire,  and  burn  tobacco. 

Workman,  prize  thine  honest  labor ; 
Burn  thy  weed,  and  love  thy  neighbor ! 

Evil-doers,  when  ye  burn 

The  weed ;  think  how  soon  'twill  be  your  turn. 

Artist,  let  thy  "  coloring  "  be 
Of  a  pipe ;  thy  "  drawing,"  free ! 

Miser,  moderate  thy  greed ! 
Mend  thy  life,  and  take  a  weed. 

Lawyer,  loose  thy  bitter  gripe ! 
Burn  thy  writ — to  light  a  pii^e. 

Statesman,  harassed  night  and  day, 
Blow  a  cloud ;  puff  care  away ! 

Hardy  tiller  of  the  soil ! 
Light  a  pipe ;  'twill  lighten  toil. 

Usurer,  we  surely  know 

Thou  wilt  have  thy  quid  pro  quo. 

Merchant,  smoke  thy  pipe ;  hang  care ! 
Draughts  are  always  honored  there. 

Gentle  friend,  wliom  troubles  fret ! 
Smoke  a  soothing  cigarette. 

Preacher !  take  a  pinch  witli  me  : 
Snuff  is  dust,  and  so  are  we. 


A  WARNING. 

Hence  with  moralizings  musty ! 
I  say  life  is  "  not  so  dusty." 

Smoke  in  gladness ;  smoke  in  trouble ; 
Soothe  the  last,  tlie  former  double ! 

Teach  the  Fiji  Indians,  then, 

To  chew  their  quids,  instead  of  men. 

Pain  from  heart  and  brain  to  wipe, 
Pass  the  weed,  and  fill  your  pipe ! 


185 


LORD  AND  LACKEY. 


Prince  and  peasant,  lord  and  lackey, 
All  in  some  form  take  their  'Baccy." 

The  evil  effects  occasioned  by  man's  indulging  too  fre- 
quently in  tobacco  have  been  the  subject  of  many  a  fierce 
debate  between  the  friends  and  foes  of  the  "great  plant." 
Many,  however,  are  not  aware  of  the  fatality  attending  its 
use  by  the  brute  creation.  A  modern  Englisn  poet  on  hear- 
ing of  the  result  produced  on  a  cow  from  chewing  tobacco, 
penned  the  following  sad  lines  which  he  entitles — "An  elegy 
on  somebody's  Cow." 

"Weep !  weep,  ye  chcwers !     Lowly  bend,  and  bow; 
Here  licth  what  was  once  a  happy  cow. 
No  more  her  voice  she'll  raise,  now  low,  now  high, 
In  amber  fields,  beneath  an  autumn  sky ; 


186  SAD  FATE  OP  A  "  CHEWER." 

No  more  she'll  wander  to  the  milking-pail, 

While  swine  stand  by  to  see  her  chew  "  pig-tail;" 

No  more  round  her  the  bees,  a  busy  crew, 

Shall  linger,  eager  after  "  honey-dew ;  " 

No  more  for  her  shall  smoking  grains  be  spread : 

All  bellowless  remains  her  empty  shed. 

Sad  was  her  fate.     Reflect,  all  ye  who  read  : 
Life's  flower  destroyed  by  the  accursed  weed. 
When  first  the  yellow  juice  streamed  o'er  her  lip, 
One  might  have  said,  "  This  is  a  sad  cow-slip." 
To  chew  the  peaceful  cud  by  nature  bid. 
Degraded  man  taught  her  to  chew  a  quid. 
Sad  the  effect  on  body  and  on  mind  : 
Her  coat  grew  "  shaggy,"  her  milk  nicotined ; 
Over  her  head  shall  naught  but  clover  grow, 
While  o'er  her  peaceful  grave  the  clouds  shall  blow. 

No  invalid  shall  ask  for  her  cow-heel, 
To  heal  his  ailments  with  the  simple  meal ; 
Her  whiskful  tail  into  no  soup  shall  go ; 
Mother  of  "  weal  "  that  would  but  bring  us  woe. 
Her  tripe  shall  honor  not  the  festive  meal. 
Where  smoking  onions  all  their  joys  reveal ; 
Nor  shall  those  shins  that  oft  lagged  on  the  road, 
Be  sold  in  cheap  cook-shops  as  "  a  la  mode" 
Her  tongue  must  soon  be  sandwiched  under  ground, 
Nor  at  pic-nics  with  cheap  champagne  go  round ; 
Yea,  even  her  poor  bones  are  past  all  hope — 
Not  fit  to  be  boiled  down  for  scented  soap. 

Ah !  hide  her  hide,  poor  beast.     Her  stomachs  five 

Dyed  with  the  chewing  she  could  not  survive ; 

The  very  worms  from  her  will  turn  away. 

To  seek  some  anti-chewer  for  their  prey. 

Ye  cliewers !  be  ye  pilgrims  to  her  tomb ; 

Lament  with  us  o'er  her  untimely  doom. 

Awhile  she  stood  the  anti-chewer's  butt. 

Till  scythe-arm'd  Time  gave  her  an  "  ugly  cut." 

She  stagger'd  to  her  death,  and  feebly  cried, 

And  sneezed,  "  Achew!  achew!  "  and  chewing  died. 

There  are  many  parodies  of  popular  poems  written  in 
praise  of  the  weed  ;  of  which  the  following  in  imitation  of 
Tennesson's  "  Charge  of  the  Light  Brigade,"  entitled  "  The 
Charge  of  the  Tobacco  Jar  Brigade,"  is  one  of  the  best. 


A  FAMOUS  CHARGE. 


187 


"  Epigrams,  epigrams, 
Pour'd  in,  and  numbered — 
Good,  bad,  indifferent — 
More  than  Six  Hundred. 
"  Epigrams  potters  want," 
Quoth  The  Tobacco  Plant : 
Write !  you  for  fame  who  pant ; 
Write!  we'll  three  prizes  grant." 
Wrote  for  Tobacco-Jars, 
Over  Six  Hundred. 

Postmen,  ere  morning's  light ; 
Postmen,  whilst  day  was  bright ; 
Postmen,  as  closed  in  night, 
Ran — tan'd  and  thunder'd 
Loud  at  our  office  door ; 
Brought  letters,  many  score — 
Contents  of  bags — to  pour 
Table  and  desk  all  o'er : 
Handfuls  and  armfuls  bore, 
Casting  them  on  the  floor. 
Then  through  the  town  they  tore, 
Hastening  back  for  more — 
More  than  Six  Hundred. 

Letters  to  right  of  us. 
Letters  to  left  of  us. 
Letters  in  front  of  us. 
Seeming  unnumbered ! 
Envelopes  every  size 
Met  our  astonish'd  eyes. 
Writer  with  writer  vies  ! 
Which  wins  the  chiefest  prize 
Out  of  Six  Hundred. 

How  did  each  writer  strain 
After  a  happy  vein ! 
Pegasus,  spurning  rein, 
Shied,  jibb'd,  and  blunder'd. 
Reverend  writers,  then 
Took  up  the  winged  pen ; 
Suff'rers  on  beds  of  pain 
Sought  the  bright  muse  again  ; 


Lawyer  and  barrister 
Courted  and  harassed  her; 
M.  D.s  and  editors; 
Debtors  and  creditors ; 
Artists  and  artisans. 
Nicotine's  partisans ; 
Nurses  and  gentle  dames 
Call'd  it  endearing  names ; 
Poets,  ship-masters,  too ; 
Ay !  poetasters,  too ; 
Wooing  fair  Nicotine, 
Six  hundred  scribes  were  seen. 
Anti-Tobacco  cant. 
Bigoted,  bilious  rant. 
Bursting  to  vent  their  spleen. 
Joined  the  Six  Hundred. 

Flash'd  many  fancies  rare ; 
Flash'd  like  Aurora's  glare ; 
Quick  jotted  down  with  care; 
Some  the  reverse  of  fair; 
Some  that  we  well  could  spare ; 
Some  that  were  made  to  bear 
Blunders  unnumbered. 
Plunging  in  metaphor, 
Not  a  bit  better  for — 
Pardon  the  Cockney  rhyme ! — 
Sirailies  plunder'd. 
Praising  Tobacco  smoke, 
Heeding  not  grammar's  yoke, 
Prosody's  rules  they  broke. 
Many  a  rhyming  moke. 
Sense  from  rhyme  sundered : 
Many  wrote  well,  but  not — 
Not  the  Six  Hundred. 
Honour  Tobacco !  roU'd, 
Cut,  prcss'd,  however  sold. 
Alpha  and  Beta,  bold. 
Ye  shall  be  tipp'd  with  gold. 
Omega  shall  be  sold, 
Others  in  type  1)eliold 
Nearly  Six  Hundred." 


The  following  poem  entitled  "Weedless,"  after  Byron's 
"Darkness,"  gives  a  vivid  description  of  the  world  without 
tobacco. 


188  A  BAD  DREAM. 

"  I  had  a  dream,  and  it  was  all  a  dream : 
Tobacco  was  abolish'd,  and  cigars 
Were  flung  by  "  Antis  "  fearsome  space — 
The  foreign  and  the  British  fared  alilce — 
And  the  blue  smoke  was  blown  beyond  tlie  moon. 
Night  came  and  went  and  came,  and  brought  no  "  weed," 
And  men  forgot  their  suppers,  in  the  dread 
Of  the  dire  desolation ;  and  all  tongues 
Were  tingling  with  the  taste  of  empty  pipes ; 
And  they  did  live  all  wretched ;  old  hay  bands. 
And  street-doormats,  and  clover  brown  and  dry; 
Carpets,  rope-yarn,  and  such  things  as  men  sell, 
Were  burnt  for  'bacca ;  haystacks  were  consumed, 
And  men  were  gathered  round  each  blazing  mass, 
To  have  another  makeshift  sniflf. 

Happy  were  those  who  smoked,  with  smould'ring  logfl, 
The  harmless  Yarmouth  bloater  after  death — 
Another  pipe  not  all  the  world  contaln'd ; 
The  furze  was  set  on  fire,  but,  hour  by  hour, 
The  stock  diminish'd ;  all  the  prickly  points 
Quivered  to  death,  and  soon  it  all  was  gone. 
The  lips  of  men  by  the  expiring  stuff 
Drew  in  and  out,  and  all  the  world  had  fits. 
The  cinders  fell  upon  tliem ;  some  sprang  up, 
And  blew  their  noses  loud,  and  some  did  stand 
Upon  their  heads,  and  sway'd  despairing  feet; 
And  others  madly  up  and  down  the  world 
With  "  two-pence  "  hurried,  shouting  out  for  "Shag;  " 
And  wink'd  and  blink'd  at  th'  unclouded  sky. 
The  "  Anti's  "  smokeless  banner — then  again 
riung  all  their  halfpence  down  into  the  dust. 
And  chewed  their  tainted  pockets ;  snuffers  wept, 
And,  flatt'ning  noses  on  the  dreary  ground. 
Inhaled  the  useless  dust;  the  biggest  "  rough" 
Came  mild,  tobacco-begging;  p'licement  came,   • 
And  mix'd  themselves  among  the  multitude, 
Run  in  "  forgotten ;  uniforms  were  chew'd, 
And  teeth  which  for  a  moment  had  had  rest. 
Did  move  themselves  again ;  old  beaver  hats 
Fctcli'd  little  fortunes  ;  tliey  were  torn  in  bits, 
And  smok"d  or  chew'd  at  will ;  no  bits  were  left. 
AH  earth  was  but  one  thought,  and  that  was  smoke, 
Immediate  and  glorious ;  and  a  pang 
Of  horror  came  at  intervals,  and  men 
Cried ;  and  the  boys  were  restless  as  themselves. 
Till  by  degrees  their  stockings  were  devour'd ; 


TRIUMPH  OF  THE  ANTI'S.  189 

E'en  pipes  were  droppd  despairing — all,  save  one, 

One  man  was  faithful  to  his  pipe,  and  kept 

Despair  and  deeper  misery  at  bay, 

By  seeking  ever  for  a  "  topper,"  dropped 

From  some  spurned  pipe,  but  that  he  could  not  find; 

So,  with  a  piteous  and  perpetual  glare, 

And  a  quick  dissolute  word,  sucking  the  pipe, 

Which  answcr'd  never  with  a  whiff,  he  slept; 

The  crowd  dispersed  by  slow  degrees,  but  two 

Of  all  the  dreary  company  remain'd. 

And  they  kept  'bacca  shops ;  they  sat  upon 

The  scented  lid  of  a  tobacco  tub. 

Wherein  was  heap'd  a  mass  of  coined  bronze — 

Profits  of  'bacca  sold— they  were  sold  out; 

They,  grinning,  scraped  with  their  warm,  eager  hands 

The  little  halfpence  and  the  bigger  pence, 

Counted  a  little  time,  and  cried  "  Haw!  haw!  " 

Like  a  whole  rookery ;  then  lifted  up 

The  tub  as  it  grew  lighter,  and  beheld 

Each  other's  profits ;  saw,  and  smiled,  and  winked, 

Uncaring  that  the  world  was  poor  indeed. 

So  they  were  rich  in  pence.     The  world  was  mad. 

The  populace  and  peerage  both  alike 

Birds — Eyeless,  Shagless,  and  returnless,  too — 

Oh!  day  of  death,  oh!  chaos  of  hard  times! — 

And  princes,  dukes,  and  lords,  they  all  stood  still, 

Feeling  within  their  pockets'  silent  depths ; 

And  sailors  went  a-moaning  out  to  sea. 

And  chew'd  their  cables  piecemeal :  then  they  wept, 

And  slept  on  the  abyss  without  a  quid. 

All  qtiids  were  gone,  cigars  were  in  their  graves ; 

The  plant,  their  mother,  had  been  rooted  up ; 

Pawnbrokers  had  a  ton  of  pipes  apiece. 

And  "  Antis  "  triumph'd.     Then  they  had  no  need 

To  keep  a  "  Sec,"  so  Reynolds  got  the  "  saclv." 

One  of  the  best  of  all  parodies  is  one  in  imitation  of  Long- 
fellow's "  Excelsior,"  entitled  "  Tobacco."  It  is  from  "  Copis* 
Tobacco  Plant." 

"  The  summer  blight  was  falling  fast, 
When  straight  through  dirty  London  passed 
A  youth,  who  bore,  througli  road  and  street, 
A  packet,  thereon  written  neat ; 

"Tobacco!" 


190 


THE  TRAVELER. 


His  brow  was  glad,  his  laughing  eye 
Flashed  like  a   gooseberry  in  a  pie ; 
And  like  a  penny  whistle  rung 
The  piping  notes  of  that  strange  tongue — 

"  Tobacco!" 

In  dusty  homes  lie  saw  the  light 

Of  supper  fires  gleam  warm  and  bright ; 


THE  STRANGE    YOUTH. 

Above,  the  ruddy  chimneys  smoked  : 
He  from  his  lips  the  word  evoked — 

"  Tobacco! " 

"Try  not  the  weed,"  good  Reynolds  said; 
"  I've  smoked  it  'till  I'm  nearly  dead  : 
Take  not  the  juice  in  thy  inside ;  " 
But  loud  the  jovial  voice  replied — 

"Tobacco!" 

"  Oh!  stay,"  the  maiden  said,  "  and  rest; 
I  have  got  on  my  Sunday  best :  " 
A  wink  stood  in  his  bright  blue  eye. 
And  answered  he,  without  a  sigh — 

"  Tobacco  1" 


"  Beware  the  briar's  poison'd  root; 
Beware  the  birds-eye  put  into  't." 


THE  SMOKER'S  CALENDAR.  X91 

This  wiis  the  Anti's  latest  greet. 
A  voice  replied,  far  up  the  street — 

"  Tobacco  I " 

At  break  of  day,  on  Clapham  Rise, 
A  pot-boy  opened  both  his  eyes, 
And  to  himself  did  gently  swear, 
To  hear  a  voice  call  through  the  air — 

"  Tobacco!" 

A  traveler  up  a  tree  he  found, 
Who  smoked  and  spat  upon  the  ground; 
And  then  among  tlie  blossoms  ripe 
He  cried,  while  pufiing  at  liis  pipe — 

"Tobacco!" 

There  in  the  grayish  twilight,  "  What's 
That  you  say?  "  cried  eager  Pots, 
And  from  the  branch  so  green  and  far, 
A  voice  fell  like  a  broken  jar — 

"  Tobacco." 

The  following  lines  from  the  same  source  have  been  verjr 
appropriately  called  "  The  Smoker's  Calendar." 

When  January's  cold  appears, 
A  glowing  pipe  my  spirit  cheers ; 
And  st411  it  glads  the  lengthening  day, 
'Neath  February's  milder  sway. 
When  March's  keener  winds  succeed, 
What  charms  me  like  the  burning  weed? 
When  April  mounts  the  solar  car, 
I  join  him,  puffing  a  cigar; 
And  May,  so  beautiful  and  bright. 
Still  finds  the  pleasing  weed  a-light. 
To  balmy  zephyrs  it  gives  zest, 
When  June  in  gayest  livery's  drest. 
Through  July  Flora's  offspring  smile, 
But  still  Nicotia's  can  beguile ; 
And  August,  when  its  fruits  are  ripe, 
Matures  my  pleasure  in  a  pipe. 
September  finds  me  in  the  garden. 
Communing  with  a  long  churchwarden. 
Ev'n  in  the  wane  of  dull  October, 
I  smoke  my  pipe  and  sip  my  "  robur," 
November's  soaking  show'rs  require 
The  smoking  pipe  and  blazing  fire : 


192  HOLLAND  AND  FRENCH. 

The  darkest  day  in  drear  December's — 
That's  lighted  by  their  glowing  embers. 

The  Hon.  "  Suuset "  Cox  in  his  lecture  on  American 
Humor  alhided  to  the  national  characteristics  of  the  French, 
Spanish,  German,  and  other  nationalities,  says  : — 

"  The  highest  enjoyment  of  a  Frenchman  is  to  hear  the 
last  cantatrice,  the  Spaniard  enjoys  the  most  skillful  thrust  of 
the  matador  in  the  bull  arena,  the  Neapolitan  the  taste  of  the 
maccaroni,  the  German  his  beer  and  metaphysics,  the  darkey 
his  banjo,  and  the  American — 

*  To  the  American  there's  nothing  so  sweet 
As  to  sit  in  his  chair  and  tilt  up  his  feet, 
Enjoy  the  Cuba,  whose  flavor  just  suits, 
And  gaze  at  the  world  through  the  toes  of  his  boots.' " 

This  would  seem  to  be  a  feature  of  the  Dutch  according  to 
a  late  traveler,  who  says : — 

"  I  like  Holland — it  is  the  antidote  of  France.  No  one  is 
ever  in  a  hurry  here.  Life  moves  on  in  a  slow,  majestic 
stream,  a  little  muddy  and  stagnant,  perhaps,  like  one  of  their 
own  canals  ;  but  you  see  no  waves,  no  breakers  ;  not  an  eddy, 
nor  even  a  froth  bubble,  breaks  the  surface.  Even  a  Dutch 
child,  as  he  steals  along  to  school,  smoking  his  short  pipe,  has 
a  mock  air  of  thought  about  him." 

The  following  epigrams  for  tobacco  jars  from  "  The 
Tobacco  Plant "  evince  much  "  taste,  wit,  and  ingenuity." 

Fill  the  bowl,  you  jolly  soul, 
And  burn  all  sorrow  to  a  coal. 

Henry  Clay, 

That  man  is  frugal  and  content  indeed, 
Who  finds  food,  solace,  pleasure  in  a  weed. 

The  "  Weed, 

Behold !  this  vessel  hath  a  moral  got, 
Tobacco-smokers  all  must  go  to  pot. 

Epigrammatic. 

A  weed  you  call  me,  but  you'll  own 
No  rose  was  e'er  more  fully  blown. 

Sic  Itur  ad  Nostra. 

Great  Jove,  Pandora's  box  with  jars  did  fill ' 
This  Jar  alone  has  power  those  jars  to  still. 

In  NuhUus. 


EPIGRAMS. 


193 


Tobacco  some  saj',  is  a  potent  narcotic, 

That  rules  half  the  world  in  a  way  quite  despotic ; 

So  to  punish  him  well  for  his  wicked  and  merry  tricks, 

We'll  burn  him  forthwith,  as  they  used  to  do  heretics. 

Ztd, 


SMOKER    READING    EPIGRAMS. 

No  use  to  draw  upon  a  bank  if  no  effects  are  there, 
But  a  draw  of  this  Tobacco  is  quite  a  safe  affair ; 
And  a  pipe  with  fragrant  weed  (such  as  I  hold)  neatly  stuffed, 
Is  just  the  only  thing  on  earth  that  ought  to  be  well  puffed. 

R.  S.  Y.  P. 

Poor  woman  "  pipes  her  eye," 
When  in  affliction's  gripe ; 
But  man,  far  wiser  grown. 
Just  eyes  his  pipe. 

In  Nuhilus. 

Sir  Walter  Raleigh !  name  of  worth, 
How  sweet  for  thee  to  know 
King  James,  who  never  smoked  on  earth, 
Is  smoking  down  below. 

Ex  Fumo  dare  Lueem, 


Travelers  say  Tobacco  springs 
From  the  graves  of  Indian  kings  : 
fill  your  pipe,  then — smoke  will  be 
13 


,194: 


EPIGRAMS. 


Incense  to  their  memory.        , 
;  Though  the  weed's  nor  rich  nor  rare, 
.Bjfjiii'Tis  a  balm  for  every  care. 
.^■.nioTjil  ob  oi  bozii  ^odt  8B  ,ri)ivfW«r  Piper. 

Give  me  the  weed,  the  fragrant  weed, 
,  My  wearied  brain  to  calm ; 

i  In  a  wreath  of  smoke,  while  I  crack  my  joke, 

j  I'll  find  a  healing  balm. 


(/ 


Day  after  day,  let  come  what  may, 
The  pipe  of  peace  I'll  fill ; 
I  readily  pay  for  briar  or  clay, 
To  save  a  doctor's  bill. 

Pompone, 


I 


Oreat  men  need  no  pompous  marble 
To  perpetuate  their  name ; 
Household  gear  and  common  trinkets 
Best  remind  us  of  their  fame. 

\lEaleigh's  glory  rests  immortal 
On  ten  thousand  thousand  urns, 


\A„         ... 

Every  jar  is  in  mem  rxam, 

Every  fragrant  pipe  that  burns. 

At  an  Ash. 

*^3f*"'«^.f»«'^^^Jar3  6f  potted-beef  and  ham;     ^"'w  aq.q  «  bn/. 
.b9-ftuq  Ih^^^  ^^i^^^g  ^^^3t  t„  ^^  b    f^^;  7lno  9ilt  iaut  si 

•  *•  •  Is  my  dear  old  Tobacco- Jar. 

There  are  pipes  producing  souuda,^yine.  .^  ., 
Pipes  producing  luscious  wine;.  ,V,yffjt^j  ^j  noiiVr 
But  when  I  consolation  need,      .  ^^  .,^,j.  ^^^.^ 

I  take  the  pipe  that  burns  the  weed. ...  „_r,^  ..    i 
V  .    ,  Jars. 

Friend  of  my  youth,  companion  of  my  later  days, 
What  needs  my  muse  to  sing  thy  various  praise? 
In  country  or  in  town,  on  land  or  sea, om/jL  ^ni/l 
The  weed  is  still  delightful  company.    n;;j,..  ,.  -] 
^  Jji  joy  or  ^sorrow,  grief  or  racking  pain. 
We  fly  to  thee  for  solace  once  again. 
Delicious  plant,  by  all  the  world  consumed, 
'Tis  pity  thou,  Iflce  man,  to  ashes  too  art  doom'd. 

■ji!  I'lv/  •',;  Erutxim. 


EPIGRAMS. 


B5 


Hail  plant  of  power,  more  than  king's  renown, 
Beloved  alike  in  country  and  in  town; 
In  hotter  climes  oft  mingled  with  the  jet 
Of  falling  fountains  ;  whilst  the  cigarette 
Kisses  the  fair  one's  lips,  and  by  thy  breath 
Redeems  the  wearied  heart  from  ennui's  death. 

Theta. 

If  e'er  in  social  jars  you  join, 
Seek  this,  and  let  them  cease  : 
Let  all  your  quarrels  end  in  smoke. 
And  pass  the  pipe  of  peace. 

Fumigator, 

Many  a  jar  of  old  outbroke 
Into  fire  and  riot ; 


THK    EXPLOSION. 


This  will  yield,  with  fragrant  smoke, 
Happy  thought,  and  quiet. 

41,911. 


The  moralist,  philosopher,  and  sage. 
Have  sought  by  every  means,  in  every  age, 
That  which  should  cause  the  strife  of  men  to  ceasei 
And  steep  the  world  in  fellowship  and  peace ; 


196  EPIGRAMS. 

But  all  their  toil  and  diligence  were  vain, 
'Till  Raleigh,  noble  Raleigh !  crossed  the  main. 
And  brought  to  Britain's  shores  the  wish'd-for  prize, 
The  sovereign  balm  of  life — within  it  lies. 

Dum  Spiro  Fumigo. 

To  rich  men  a  pastime,  to  poor  men  a  treat. 
To  all  a  true  tonic  most  bracing  and  sweet. 
To  talent  a  pleasure,  to  genius  a  joy, 
To  workmen  a  comfort,  to  none  an  alloy. 
The  tyrant  it  softens ;  it  soothes  him  if  mad, 
The  king  who  may  rule  if  he  smokes  not,  is  sad. 

Kit. 

Sacred  substance!  sweet,  serene; 
Soothing  sorrow's  saddest  scene  : 
Scent-suffusing,  silv'ry  smoke. 
Softly  smoothing  suffering's  stroke ; — 
Solacing  so  silently — 
Still  so  swift,  so  sure,  so  sly : 
Smoke  sublimated  soars  supreme, 
Sweetest  soul-sustaining  stream ! 

Similia  Similibus. 

Why  should  men  reek,  like  chimneys,  with  foul  smoke, 
Their  neighbors  and  themselves  to  nearly  choke?  • 
Avoid  it,  ye  John  Bulls,  and  eke  ye  Paddies ! 
Avoid  it,  sons  of  Cambria,  and  Scottish  laddies ! 
Let  reason  convince  you  that  it  very  sad  is, 

And  far  too  bad  is. 

And  enough  to  make  one  mad  is 
To  be  smoked  like  a  red  herring  or  rank  Finedon  baddies. 

J.  S. 

No  punishment  save  hanging's  too  severe 
For  those  who'd  rob  the  poor  man  of  his  beer; 
But  for  the  wretch  who'd  take  away  his  pipfe, 
I  think  he's  fully  execution  ripe ! 

Pipe  Clay, 

Weeds  are  but  cares !  Well,  what  of  that ! 

There's  one  weed  bears  a  goodly  crop ; 

And  this  exception,  then,  'tis  flat. 

Doth  give  that  rule  a  firmer  prop. 

Tobacco  brings  the  genial  mood, 

Warm  heart,  shrewd  thought,  and  while  we  rea^ 

From  this  poor  weed  such  harvest  good. 

We'll  hold  more  boasted  harvests  cheap. 

Festus. 


EPIGRAMS.  197 

To  poets  give  the  laurel  wreath,  let  heroes  have  their  lay, 
Of  roses  twine  for  lovely  youth  the  garland  fresh  and  gay ; 
But  we  poor  mortals,  quite  content,  life's  fev'rish  way  pursue, 
Can  we  but  crown  our  foolish  pates  with  wreaths  of  fragrant  blue. 
Convinced  that  all  terrestrial  things  wliich  please  us  or  provoke, 
Of  ashes  come,  to  ashes  go,  and  only  end  in  smoke. 

PocosmipOf 

Whilst  cannon's  smoke  o'erwhelms  with  deadly  cloud 
The  soldier's  comrades  in  a  common  shroud, 
And  whilst  the  conflagration  in  the  street, 
With  crushing  roar  the  ruin  makes  complete, 
Tobacco's  smoke  like  incense  seeks  the  skies — 
Blesses  the  giver,  and  in  silence  dies ! 

Theta. 

Use  me  well,  and  you  shall  see 
An  excellent  servant  I  will  be ; 
Let  me  once  become  your  master, 
And  you  shall  rue  the  great  disaster ! 

As  coin  does  to  he  who  borrows, 
I'll  soothe  your  cares  and  ease  your  sorrows ; 
Abuse  me,  and  your  nerves  I'll  shatter, 
Your  heart  I'll  break,  your  cash  I'll  scatter. 

Use,  not  Abuse. 

The  savage  in  his  wild  estate, 
When  feuds  and  discords  cease, 
Soothes  with  the  fragrant  weed  his  hate, 
And  smokes  thepipe  of  peace. 

Long  may  the  plant  good-will  create, 
And  banish  strife  afar : 
Our  only  cloud  its  incense  sweet. 
And  this  our  only  jar. 

Scire  Facias. 

Breathes  there  a  man  with  soul  so  dead, 
Who  never  to  himself  hath  said ; 
I'll  have  to  smoke,  or  I'll  be  dead? 
If  so,  then  let  the  caitiff  dread ! 
My  wrath  shall  fall  upon  his  head. 
'Tis  plain  he  ne'er  the  Plant  hath  read ; 
But  "  goody  "  trash,  perchance,  instead. 
Dear  Cope,  good  night!— Yours,  Master  Fred. 


198  DOCTOR  PARR  AS  A  SMOKER. 

That  tobacco  in  one  form  or  another  has  been  patronized 
from  the  cottage  to  the  throne,  no  one  will  deny  who  is  at  all 
acquainted  with  the  history  of  the  plant.  And  while  it  has 
had  many  a  royal  hater,  it  can  also  boast  of  having  many  a 
kingly  user.  A  favorite  of  king  and  courtier,  its  use  was 
alike  common  in  the  palace  and  the  courtyard.  It  can  claim, 
also,  many  celebrated  physicians  who  have  been  its  patrons, 
and  among  them  the  noted  Dr.  Parr.  We  give  an  anecdote 
of  him  showing  his  love  of  weed  and  wit. 

The  partiality  this  worthy  Grecian  always  manifested  for 
smoking  is  well  known.  Whenever  he  dined  he  was  always 
indulged  with  a  pipe.  Even  His  Majesty,  when  Dr.  Parr 
was  his  guest  at  Carlton  Palace,  condescended  to  give  him  a 

smoking-room   and   the   company   of   Colonel   C ,  in 

order  that  he  might  suffer  no  inconvenience.  "  I  don't  like 
to  be  smoked  myself,  doctor,"  said  the  royal  wit,  "  but  I  am 
anxious  that  your  pipe  should  not  be  put  out."     One  day, 

Dr.   Parr  was  to  dine  at  the  house  of  Mr.  ,  who 

informed  his  lady  of  the  circumstance,  and  of  the  doctor's 
passion  for  the  pipe.  The  lady  was  much  mortified  by  this 
intimation,    and    with    warmth    said,     "I  tell   you  what, 

Mr.  ,  I  don't  care  a  fig  for  Dr.  P.'s  Greek  ;  he  shan't 

smoke  here."  "  My  dear,"  replied  the  husband,  "  he  must 
smoke;  he  is  allowed  to  do  so  everywhere."     "Excuse  me, 

Mr.  ,  he  shall  not  smoke  here ;  leave  it  to  me,  my 

dear,  I'll  manage  it."  The  doctor  came ;  a  splendid  dinner 
ensued ;  the  Grecian  was  very  brilliant.  After  dinner,  the 
doctor  called  for  his  pipes.  "  Pipes !"  screamed  the  lady. 
Pipes!  For  what  purpose ?"  "Why,  to  smoke,  madam!" 
"  Oh  !  my  dear  doctor,  I  can't  have  pipes  here.  You'll  spoil 
my  room ;  my  curtains  will  smell  of  tobacco  for  a  week." 
"Not  smoke!"  exclaimed  the  astonished  and  offended 
Grecian.  "  Why,  madam,  I  have  smoked  in  better  houses." 
"  Perhaps  so,  sir,"  replied  the  lady,  with  dignity ;  and  she 
added  with  firmness,  "  I  shall  be  most  happy,  doctor,  to  show 
you  the  rights  (rites?)  of  hospitality;  but  you  cannot  be 
allowed  to  smoke."    "  Then,  madam,"  said  Dr.  Parr,  looking 


200  FIELD  MARSHAL  BLUCHER. 

at  her  ample  person ;  "  then,  madam,  —  I  must  say, 
madam, — "  "  Sir,  sir,  are  you  going  to  be  rude  ?"  "  1 
must  say,  madam,"  he  continued,  "you  are  the  greatest 
tobacco-stopper  in  all  England."  Of  the  clergy,  Whatley 
was  one  of  the  greatest  in  intellect,  and,  as  a  smoker 
was  devotedly  attached  to  tobacco  ;  his  pipes,  when  out, 
served  him  for  a  book-marker.  In  summer-time  he  might 
be  seen,  of  an  evening,  sitting  on  the  chains  of  Stephen's 
Green,  thinking  of  "that,"  as  the  song  says,  and  of  much 
more,  while  he  was  "smoking  tobacco."  In  winter  he 
walked  and  smoked,  vigorously  in  both  cases,  on  the  Donny- 
brook  road ;  or  he  would  be  out  with  his  dogs,  climbing  up 
the  trees  to  hide  amid  the  branches  a  key  or  a  knife,  which, 
after  walking  some  distance,  he  would  tell  the  dogs  he  had 
lost,  and  bid  them  look  for  it  and  bring  it  to  him. 

Of  many  warriors,  none  have  been  more  devoted  to  the 
plant  than  Napoleon,  Frederick  of  Prussia  and  Bliicher  the 
Bold.  The  following  anecdote  of  the  latter  is  one  of  the 
best  of  its  kind :  "  As  is  well-known,  Field-Marshal  Bliicher, 
in  addition  to  his  brave  young  'fellows'  (as  he  called  his 
horsemen),  loved  three  things  above  all,  namely,  wine, 
gambling,  and  a  pipe  of  Tobacco.  With  his  pipe  he  would 
not  dispense,  and  he  always  took  two  or  three  puffs,  at  least, 
before  undertaking  anything.  '  Without  Tobacco,  I  am  not 
worth  a  farthing,'  he  often  said.  Though  so  passionately 
fond  of  Tobacco,  yet  old  '  Forwards '  was  no  friend  of  costly 
smoking  apparatus ;  and  he  liked  best  to  smoke  long,  Dutch 
clay  pipes,  which,  as  everybody  knows,  very  readily  break. 
Therefore,  from  among  his  '  young  fellows '  he  had  chosen 
for  himself  a  Pipe-master,  who  had  charge  of  a  chest  well 
packed  with  clay  pipes  ;  and  this  chest  was  the  most  precious 
jewel  in  Bliicher's  field  baggage.  If  one  of  the  pipes  broke, 
it  was,  for  our  hero,  an  event  of  the  greatest  importance. 
On  its  occurrence,  the  'wounded'  pipe  was  narrowly 
examined,  and  if  the  stem  was  not  broken  off  too  near  the 
head,  it  was  sent  to  join  the  corps  of  Invalids,  and  was  called 
*  Stummel '  (Stump,  or  Stumpy).     One  of  these  Stumpies  the 


SMOKING  ON  THE  BATTLE-FIELD.  201 

Field-Marslial  usually  smoked  when  he  was  on  horseback, 
and  when  the  troops  were  marching  along  or  engaged  in  a 
reconnoissance,.  and  eye-witnesses  record  that  many  a  Stumpy 
was  shot  from  Jiis  mouth  by  the  balls  of  the  enemy — nothing 
but  a  piece  of  the  stem  then  remaining  between  his  lips. 
Bliicher's  Pipe-master,  at  the  time  of  the  Liberation  War, 
was  Christian  Hennemann,  a  Mecklenburg  and  Rostock  man, 
like  Bliicher  himself,  and  most  devotedly  attached  to  the 
Field-Marshal.  He  knew  all  the  characteristic  peculiarities 
of  the  old  hero,  even  the  smallest,  and  no  one  could  so  skill- 
fully adapt  himself  to  them  as  he.  His  duties  as  Pipe- 
master,  Hennemann  discharged  with  great  fidelity ;  yea,  even 
with  genuine  fanatical  zeal.  The  contents  of  the  pipe-chest 
he  thoroughly  knew,  for  often  he  counted  the  pipes.  Before 
every  fierce  fight.  Prince  Bliicher  usually  ordered  a  long 
pipe  to  be  filled.  After  smoking  for  a  short  time,  he  gave 
back  the  lighted  pipe  to  Hennemann,  placed  himself  right  in 
the  saddle,  drew  his  sabre,  and  with  the  vigorous  cry, 
'  Forward,  my  lads !'  he  threw  himself  into  the  fierce  onset 
on  the  foe. 

On  the  ever-memorable  morning  of  the  battle  of  Belle- 
Alliance  (Waterloo),  Hennemann  had  just  handed  a  pipe  to 
his  master,  when  a  cannon-ball  struck  the  ground  near,  so 
that  earth  and  sand  covered  Bliicher  and  his  gray  horse. 
The  horse  made  a  spring  to  one  side,  and  the  beautiful  new 
pipe  was  broken  before  the  old  hero  had  taken  a  single  puff. 
*Fill  another  pipe  for  me,'  said  Bliicher;  'keep  it  lighted, 
and  wait  for  me  here  a  moment,  till  I  drive  away  the  French 
rascals.  Forwards,  lads  !'  Thereupon  there  was  a  rush  for- 
wards ;  but  the  chase  lasted  not  only  '  a  moment,'  but  a  whole 
hot  day.  At  the  Belle-Alliance  Inn,  which  was  demolished 
by  shot, — the  battle  having  at  last  been  gained, — the  vic- 
torious friends,  Bliicher  and  Wellington,  met  and  congratu- 
lated each  other  on  the  grand  and  nobly  achieved  work,  each 
praising  the  bravery  of  the  other's  troops.  'Your  fellows 
slash  in  like  rhe  very  devil  himself!'  cried  Wellington. 
Bliicher  replied,  '  Yes ;  you  see,  that  is  their  business.     But 


202  OBEYING  ORDERS. 

brave  as  they  are,  I  know  not  whether  one  of  them  would 
stand  as  firmly  and  calmly  in  the  midst  of  the  shower  of 
balls  and  bullets  as  your  English.'  Then  Wellington  asked 
Bliicher  about  his  previous  position  on  the  field  of  battle, 
which  had  enabled  him  to  execute  an  attack  so  fatal  to  the 
enemy. 

Bliicher,  who  could  strike  tremendous  blows,  but  was  by  no 
means  a  consummate  orator,  and  could  not  paint  his  deeds  in 
words,  conducted  Wellington  to  the  place  itself.  They  found 
it  completely  deserted ;  but  on  the  very  spot  where  Bliicher 
had  that  morning  halted,  and  from  which  he  had  galloped 
away,  stood  a  man  with  his  head  bound  up,  and  with  his  arm 
wrapped  in  a  handkerchief.  He  smoked  a  long,  dazzling 
white  clay  pipe.  '  Good  God !'  exclaimed  Blucher,  '  that  is 
my  servant.  Christian  Hennemann.  What  a  strange  look 
you  have,  man !  What  are  you  doing  here  V  '■  Have  you 
come  at  last?'  answered  Christian  Hennemann,  in  a  grum- 
bling tone ;  '  here  I  have  stood  the  whole  day,  waiting  for 
you.  One  pipe  after  another  have  the  cursed  French  shot 
away  from  my  mouth.  Once  even  a  blue  bean  (a  bullet) 
made  sad  work  with  my  head,  and  my  fist  has  got  a  deuce  of 
a  smashing.  That  is  the  last  whole  pipe,  and  it  is  a  good 
thing  that  the  firing  has  ceased  ;  otherwise,  the  French  would 
have  knocked  this  pipe  to  pieces,  and  you  must  have  stood 
there  with  a  dry  mouth.'  He  then  handed  the  lighted  pipe 
to  his  master,  who  took  it,  and  after  a  few  eagerly-enjoyed 
whiflfs,  said  to  his  faithful  servant,  '  It  is  true,  I  have  kept 
you  waiting  a  long  time ;  but  to-day  the  French  fellows 
could  not  be  forced  to  run  all  at  once.'  With  astonishment, 
Wellington  listened  to  the  conversation.  Amazed,  he  looked 
now  at  the  Field-Marshal,  now  at  the  '  Pipe-master,'  and  now 
at  the  branches  of  trees  and  the  balls  scattered  all  round^ 
which  made  it  only  too  evident  what  a  dangerous  post  this 
spot  must  have  been  during  the  battle.  The  wound  in  Hen- 
nemann's  head  proved  to  be  somewhat  serious ;  his  hand  was 
completely  shattered ;  and  yet,  in  the  midst  of  the  tempest 


204  LITERARY  SMOKERS. 

of  sLot,  he  had  stood  there  waiting  for  his  beloved  master."* 
Tobacco  smoking,  however,  can  boast  of  many  patrons 
besides  warriors,  physicians  and  statesmen,  some  of  the  finest 
writers  of  the  last  three  centuries  have  indulged  in  the  weed. 
The  following  extract  from  the  "  Australasian "  entitled, 
"  Tobacco  Smoking  "  refers  to  many  literary  smokers. 

"  Burke  felt  himself  precluded  from  '  drawing  an  indict- 
ment against  a  whole  community.'  The  critical  moralist 
pauses  before  the  formidable  array  of  the  entire  social  world, 
civilized  and  savage.  The  Cockney,  leaving  behind  him  the 
regalias  and  meerschaums  of  the  Strand,  finds  the  wax-tipped 
clay-pipe  in  the  parlors  of  Yorkshire:  finds  dhudeen  and 
cutty  in  the  wilds  of  Galway  and  on  the  rugged  shores  of 
Skye  and  Mull.  The  Frenchman  he  finds  enveloped  in 
clouds  of  Virginia,  and  the  Swede,  Dane,  and  Norwegian, 
of  every  grade  or  class,  makes  the  pipe  his  travelling  compan- 
ion and  his  domestic  solace.  The  Magyar,  the  Pole  and  the 
Russian  rival  the  Englishman  in  gusto,  perhaps  excel  him  in 
refinement ;  the  Dutch  boor  smokes  finer  Tobacco  than  many 
English  gentlemen  can  command,  and  more  of  it  than  many 
of  our  hardened  votaries  could  endure ;  but  all  must  yield, 
or  rather,  all  must  accumulate,  ere  our  conceptions  can 
approach  to  the  German.  America  and  the  British  colonies 
round  off  the  picture,  adding  Cherokees,  Redmen  and  Mon- 
golians ad  libitum.  The  Jew  whether  in  Hounds  ditch,  Paris 
Hamburgh,  or  Constantinople,  ever  inhales  the  choicest 
growths,  and  the  Mussulman's  '  keyf '  is  proverbial.  India 
and  Persia  dispute  with  us  the  palm  of  refinement  and 
intensity,  but  the  philosopher  of  Australia  is  embarrassed 
when  he  asks  himself  to  whom  shall  I  award  that  of  zealous 
devotion  ? 

"  Dr.  Adam  Clarke,  who  could  never  reconcile  himself  to 
the  practice,  deemed  it  due  to  his  piety  to  find  a  useful  pur- 
pose in  the  creation  of  tobacco  by  all-seeing  Wisdom,  and  as 
that  discovered  by  the  instincts  of  all  the  nations  of  the 
planet,  and  practiced  by  mankind  for  three  centuries,  is 
wrong,  the  benevolent  Wesleyan  of  Heydon,  applied  himself 
diligently  and  generously  to  correct  the  world,  and  to  vindi- 
cate its  Author.  "In  some  rare  cases  of  internal  injury 
tobacco  may  be  used  but  not  in  the  customary  way.'     Be  it 

•Durtng  the  conquest  of  Holland,  LonvalB  paid  more  attention  to  furnishing  tobacco  than 
PTOvisions;  and  even  at  this  day,  as  well  as  in  former  times,  more  care  is  taken  to  procure 
tobacco  than  bread  to  the  soldier.  Every  soldier  was  obliged  to  have  his  pipe  and  nis 
matches. 


DOCTOR  CLARKE  ON  TOBACCO.      .     205 

known,  then,  that  the  Creator  has  not  created  it  in  vain. 
Dr.  Clarke  must  have  been  a  very  good-natured  man.  He 
tortured  his  brains  to  lind  a  hope  of  pardon  for  Judas  Iscariot, 
and  held  that  the  creature  (Nachash)  who  tempted  Eve  was 
not  a  serpent  but  a  monkey  cursed  by  the  forfeiture  of 
patella  and  podex  /  therefore  doomed  to  crawl !  But  I  fear, 
if  the  present  form  of  nsing  tobacco  be  not  the  true  one,  we 
must  despair  of  ever  finding  it,  and  people  will  go  on  smok- 
ing and  '  hearing  reason '  as  long  as  the  world  goes  round. 
Robert  Hall  received  a  pamphlet  denouncing  the  pipe.  Ho 
read  it,  and  returned  it.  '  I  cannot,  sir,  confute  your  argu- 
ments, and  I  cannot  give  up  smoking,'  was  his  comment. 
It  is  loosely  asserted  that  smoking  is  more  prevalent  among 
scholars,  intellectualists,  and  men  who  live  by  their  brains, 
than  among  artisans  and  subduers  of  the  soil.  This  is  an 
error.  Tobacco  is  less  a  fosterer  of  thought  than  a  solace  of 
mental  vacuity.  The  thinker  smokes  in  the  intervals  of 
work,  impatient  of  ennui  as  well  as  of  lassitude,  and  the 
ploughman,  the  digger,  the  blacksmith  or  the  teamster,  lights 
his  cutty  for  the  same  reason.  No  true  worker,  be  he  digger, 
or  divine,  blends  real  work  with  either  smoking  or  drinking. 
Whenever  you  see  a  fellow  drink  or  smoke  during  work, 
spot  him  for  a  gone  coon ;  he  will  come  to  grief,  and  that 
right  soon.  Sleep  stimulates  thought,  and  sometimes  a  pipe 
will  bring  sleep,  but  trust  it  not  of  itself  for  either  thought 
or  strength.  It  combats  ennui,  lassitude,  and  intolerable 
vacuity,  soothing  the  nerves  and  diverting  attention  from 
self.  Sam  Johnson  came  very  near  the  mark :  '  I  wonder 
why  a  thing  that  costs  so  little  trouble,  yet  has  just  sufiicient 
semblance  of  doing  something  to  break  utter  idleness,  should 
go  out  of  fashion.  To  be  sure,  it  is  a  horrible  thing  blow- 
ing smoke  out ;  but  every  man  needs  something  to  quiet 
him — as,  beating  with  his  feet.' 

"Life  is  really  too  short  for  moralists  and  medici  who 
have  read  Don  Quixote,  to  attack  a  verdict  arrived  at  and 
acted  upon  by  the  combined  nations  of  the  entire  world, 
during  the  experience  of  three  centuries,  and  apparently 
deepened  by  their  advancing  civilization.  Give  us  rules  and 
modifications,  give  us  guides  and  correctives,  give  us  warnings 
against  excess,  precipitancy,  and  neglect  of  other  enjoyments, 
or  of  important  duties,  if  you  will.  The  urbane  sestheticism 
that  regulates  pleasure  also  limits  it ;  and  true  refinement  ever 
modifies  the  indulgence  it  pervades.  But  it  is  emulating 
Mrs.  Partington  and  her  mop  to  attempt  to  preach  down  a 


206  NOTED  SMOKERS. 

world.  "When  tliey  do  agree,  their  unanimity  is  irresistible. 
Prohibition  may  give  zest  to  enjoyment,  and  provocation  to 
curiosity,  but  can  never  overcome  the  instincts  of  nature  or 
cravings  of  nervous  irritability,  and  he  who  rises  in  rebellion 
against  her  absolute  decree  will  respect  the  limits  and  study 
the  laws  of  a  recognized  and  regulated  enjoyment. 

"  Let,  then,  the  moralist  point  out  what  social  duties  may 
be  imperilled ;  let  the  physician  apprise  us  of  the  disorders 
to  be  guarded  against ;  and  let  the  lover  of  elegance  see  that 
no  neglect  or  slight  awaits  her.  Of  abstract  arguments  we 
have  seen  the  futility,  of  moral  and  medical  crusades  even 
the  most  patient  are  weary,  and  we  gladly  turn  to  something 
real  in  the  suffrages  of  a  by-gone  great  man  of  acknowledged 
fame — Ben  Jonson.  Ben  Jonson  loved  the  'durne  weed,' 
and  describes  its  every  accident  with  the  gusto  of  a  con- 
noisseur. Hobbes  smoked,  after  his  early  dinner,  pipes 
innumerable.  Milton  never  went  to  bed  without  a  pipe  and 
a  glass  of  water,  which  I  cannot  help  associating  with  his : 

'  Adam  waked, 
So  custom'd,  for  his  sleep  was  aery  light,  of  pure  digestion  bred 
And  temperate  vapors  bland  !* 

"  Sir  Isaac  Newton  was  smoking  in  his  garden  at  Wools- 
thorpe  when  the  apple  fell.  Addison  had  a  pipe  in  his 
mouth  at  all  hours,  at  '  Buttons.'  Fielding  both  smoked  and 
chewed.  About  1740  it  became  unfashionable,  and  was  ban- 
ished from  St.  James'  to  the  country  squires  and  parsons. 
Squire  Western,  in  Tom  Jones,  arriving  in  town,  sends  off 
Parson  Supple  to  Basingstoke,  where  he  had  left  his  Tobacco- 
box  !  The  snnff-box  was  substituted.  Lord  Mark  Kerr,  a 
brave  officer  who  affected  the  jpetit  maitre  {a  la  Pelham,  in 
Lord  Lytton's  second  novel),  invented  the  invisible  hinges, 
and  it  was  this  '  going  out  of  fashion '  that  Jonson  alluded  to 
in  1Y74. 

"  We  next  find  Tobacco  rearing  its  head  under  the  auspices 
of  Paley  and  Parr.  Paley  had  one  of  the  most  orderly 
minds  ever  given  to  man.  A  vein  of  shrewd  and  humorous 
sarcasm,  together  with  an  under-current  of  quiet  selfishness, 
made  him  a  very  pleasant  companion.  '  I  cannot  afford  to 
keep  a  conscience  any  more  than  a  carriage,'  was  worthy  of 
Erasmus,  perhaps  of  Robelais.  '  Our  delight  was,'  said  an 
old  Jonsonian  to  the  writer,  '  to  get  old  Paley,  on  a  cold 
winter's  night,  to  put  up  his  legs,  wrap  them  well  up,  stir  the 
fire,  and  fill  him  a  long  Dutch  pipe ;  he  would  talk  away,  sir, 


NEWTON   AND   HIS   PIPE. 


208  NOTED  SMOKERS. 

like  a  being  of  a  higher  sphere.  He  declined  any  punch,  but 
drank  it  up  as  fast  as  we  replenished  his  glass.  He  would 
smoke  any  given  quantity  of  Tobacco,  and  drink  any  given 
quantity  of  punch.' 

"  Parr  smoked  ostentatiously  and  vainly,  as  he  did  every- 
thing. He  used  only  the  finest  Tobacco,  half-filling  his  pipe 
with  salt.  He  wrote  and  read,  and  smoked  and  wrote,  rising 
early,  and  talking  fustian.  He  was  a  sort  of  miniature 
Brummagem  Johnson.  Except  his  pi'eface  to  Bellendenus, 
you  might  burn  all  he  has  written.  His  '  Life  of  Fox '  is 
beneath  contempt.  His  letters  are  simply  langhable, 
especially  his  characters  of  contemporaries.  He,  however, 
was  an  amiable  and  good-natured  man,  and  had  sufficient 
humanity  to  regard  dissent  as  an  impediment  to  his  recogni- 
tion of  intellectual  or  moral  worth.  Parr  was  an  arrogant 
old  coxcomb,  who  abused  the  respectful  kindness  he  received, 
and  took  his  pipe  into  drawing-rooms.  I  pass  over  the  Duke 
of  Bridgewater,  because  he  was  early  crossed  in  love  by  a 
most  beautiful  girl,  could  not  bear  the  sight  of  a  flower  even 
growing,  and  passed  life  in  a  pot-house  with  a  pipe,  listening 
to  Brindley,  whose  intellect  and  dialect  must  have  been  alike 
incomprehensible  to  him. 

"  The  cigar  appeared  about  1812;  it  received  the  counted 
nance  of  the  Regent,  who  had  hitherto  confined  himself  to 
macobau  snuff,  scented  with  lavender  and  the  tonquin  bean. 
Porson  smoked  many  bundles  of  cheroots,  which  nabobs 
began  to  import.  After  1815  the  continental  visits  were 
resumed,  and  the  practice  of  smoking  began  steadily  to 
increase.  The  German  china  bowl  with  globular  receiver  of 
the  essential  oil,  the  absorbent  meerschaum,  the  red  Turkish 
bell-shaped  clay,  the  elaborate  hookah, — a  really  elegant 
ornament,  and  perhaps  the  most  healthful  and  rational  form 
of  smoking, — pipes  of  all  shapes,  began  to  fill  the  shops  of 
London.  Coleridge,  when  cured  of  opium,  took  to  snuff. 
Byron  wrote  dashingly  about  '  sublime  Tobacco,'  but  I  do  not 
tliink  he  carried  the  practice  to  excess.  Shelley  never 
smoked,  nor  Wordsworth,  nor  Keats.  Campbell  loved  a 
pipe.  John  Gibson  Lockhart  was  seldom  without  a  cigar. 
Sir  Walter  Scott  smoked  in  his  carriage,  and  regularly  after 
dinner,  loving  both  pipes  and  cigars.  Professor  Wilson 
smoked  steadily,  as  did  Charles  Lamb.  Carlyle,  now  some- 
what past  seventy,  has  been  a  sturdy  smoker  for  years. 
Goethe  did  not  smoke,  neither  did  Shakespeare.  I  cannot 
recall  a  single  allusion  to  Tobacco  in  all  his  plays ;  even  Sir 
Toby  Belch  does  not  add  the  pipe  to  his  burnt  sack.     But 


NOTED  SMOKERS. 


209 


Shakespeare  hated  every  form  of  debauchery.  The  peni- 
tence of  Cassio  is  more  prominent  than  was  his  fun.  '  What ! 
drunk  ?  and  talk  fustian  and  speak  parrot,  and  discourse  with 
one's  shadow  V  Shakesjieare  held  drunkenness  in  disii:ust. 
Even  Falstaff  is  more  an  intellectual  man  than  a  sot.  What 
actor  could  play  Falstalf  after  riding  forty  miles  and  being 
well  thrashed  ?  Yet,  when  Falstatf  sustains  the  evening  at 
the  Boar's  Head,  he  has  ridden  to  Gadshill  and  back,  forty- 
four  miles!  No  palsied  sot,  he.  Hamlet's  disgust  at  his 
countrymen  is  well  known.  '  Grim  death,  how  foul  and 
loathsome  is  thine  image !'  is  the  comment  on  the  drunken 
Kit  Sly.  In  short,  when  you  look  at  the  smooth,  happy, 
half-feminine  face  of  Shakespeare,  you  see  one  to  whom  all 
forms  of  debauchery  were  ungenial.  A  courtier  certainly, 
and  a  lover  of  money.  The  king  had  written  against 
Tobacco,  and  Will  Shakespeare  set  his  watch  to  the  time. 
Raleigh  and  Coliban  Jonson  might  smoke  at  the  Mermaid — 
Will  kept  his  head  clear  and  his  doublet  sweet. 

"Alfred  Tennyson  is  a  persistent  smoker  of  some  forty 
years.     Dickens,  Jerrold  and  Thackeray  all  pufled.      Lord 

Lytton  loves  a  long  pipe 

at  night  and  cigars  by  day. 

)^      >K^  'a3g»B««»^TniBiirir         Lord  Houghton  smokes 

/<y     J^^  Z^^' /'^MJ^^k       moderately.     The  late  J. 

CU^ ^r-^O,  ':^k,,'>sMfMmsm^m.      ^^  Kembie,  author  of 

'  The  Seasons  in  England,' 
was  a  tremendous  smoker. 
Moore  cared  not  for  it; 
indeed,  I  think  that  L'ish 
gentlemen  smoke  much 
less  than  English.  Well- 
>ii)gton  shunned  it;  so  did 
Peel.  D'Israeli  loved  the 
long  pipe  in  his  youth, 
but  in  middle  age  pro- 
nounced it  'the^  tomb  of 
love.'  While  I  am  writ- 
ing, it  is  not  too  much  to  aver  that  99  persons  out  of  100, 
taken  at  random,  under  forty  years  of  age,  smoke  habitually 
every  day  of  tl^ir  lives.  How  many  in  Melbourne  injure 
health  and  brain,  I  leave  to  more  skilled  and  morose  critics. 
But  my  mind  misgives  me.  Paralysis  is  becoming  very 
frequent. 

"  I  have  seen  stone  pipes  from  Gambia,  shaped  like  the 
letter  U  consisting  each  of  one  solid  flint,  hollowed  through, 
14 


TENNYSON,    SMOKING. 


210  PLEASANT  PIPES. 

also  hookahs  made  by  sailors  with  cocoanut  shells.  All, 
however,  now  agree  that  it  is  impossible  to  have  either  com- 
fortable, cool,  or  safe  smoking,  unless  through  a  substance 
like  claj,  porous  and  absorbent,  especially  as  portable  pipes 
are  the  mode.  Those  of  black  charcoal  are  not  handsome ; 
indeed,  I  always  feel  like  a  mute  at  a  funeral  while  smoking 
one,  but  they  are  delightfully  cool,  absorbing  more  essential 
oil  of  nicotine,  and  more  quickly  than  any  meerschaum.  I 
caution  the  smoker  to  have  an  old  glove  on ;  as  these  pipes 
*  sweat,'  the  oil  comes  through,  and  nothing  is  more  pertina- 
cious than  oil  of  tobacco  when  it  sinks  into  your  pores,  or 
floats  about  hair  or  clothes.  My  own  taste  inclines  to  the 
German  receiver,  long  cherry  tube  and  amber,  and  to  my 
own  garden,  for  all  street  smoking  is  unaesthetic,  and  the 
traveller  by  coach,  boat,  or  rail  has  the  tastes  of  others  to 
consult.  Surely  it  is  not  urbane  to  throw  on  another  the 
burden  of  saying  that  he  likes  not  the  smell  or  the  inhaling 
of  burning  tobacco.  Better  postpone  your  solace  to  more 
fitting  time  and  place — the  close  of  day  and  your  own 
veranda.  Indoor  smoking  is  detestable.  Life  has  few  direr 
disenchanters  than  the  morning  smells  of  obsolete  tobacco, 
relics  though  they  be  of  hesternal  beatitude.  Give  me,  in 
robe  or  jacket,  a  hookah,  or  German  arrangement,  Chinese 
recumbency  in  matted  and  moistened  veranda,  and  the  odors 
of  fresh  growing  beds  of  flowers  wafted  by  the  southern 
breeze.  Nor  be  wanting  the  fragrant  perfume  of  coffee. 
'  Meat  without  salt,'  says  Hafiz,  '  is  even  as  tobacco  without 
coflee.'  The  tannin  of  the  coffee  corrects  the  nicotine.  And 
it  may  not  be  amis3  to  learn  that  a  plate  of  watercress,  salt, 
and  a  large  glass  of  cold  water  should  be  at  hand  to  the 
smoker  by  day ;  the  watercress  corrects  any  excess,  and  is 
at  hand  in  a  garden.  Smoke  not  before  breakfast,  nor  till 
an  hour  has  elapsed  after  a  good  meal.  Smoke  not  with  or 
before  wine,  you  destroy  the  wine-palate.  If  you  love  tea, 
postpone  pipe  till  after  it ;  no  man  can  enjoy  fine  tea  who 
has  smoked.  In  short,  smoke  not  till  the  day  is  done,  with 
all  its  tasks  and  duties. 

"  I  have  seen  men  of  pretension  and  position  treat  cai-pets 
most  contumeliously,  trampling  on  the  pride  of  Plato  with  a 
recklessness  that  would  bring  a  blush  to  the  cheek  of  Diogenes 
himself.  Can  they  forget  the  absorbent  powers  of  carpet 
tissues,  and  the  horrors  of  next  morning  to  non-smokers, 
perhaps  to  ladies  ?  Surely  this  is  unaesthetic  and  illiberal : 
it  is  in  an  old  man  most  pitiable,  in  a  young  one  intolerable,  in 


RULES  FOR  SMOKING.  211 

a  scholar  inexcusable,  from  an  uncleanness  that  seems  willful. 
Let  the  young  philosopher  avoid  such  practice,  and  give  a 
•wide  berth  to  those  who  follow  them.  Take  the  following 
rules,  tyro,  'ineo  jx^^iculo '. — 

1.  Never  smoke  when  the  pores  are  open :  they  absorb, 
and  you  are  unUt  for  decent  society.  Be  it  your  study  ever 
to  escape  the  noses  of  strangers.  First  impressions  are 
sometimes  permanent,  and  you  may  lose  a  useful  acquaintance. 

2.  Learn  to  smoke  slowly.  Cultivate  '  calm  and  intermit- 
tent puffs.' —  Walter  Scott. 

3.  On  the  first  symptom  of  expectoration  lay  down  the 
pipe,  or  throw  away  the  cigar ;  long-continued  expectoration 
is  destructive  to  yourself  and  revolting  to  every  spectator. 

4.  Let  an  interval  elapse  between  the  filling  of  succeeding 
pipes. 

5.  Clean  your  tube  regularly,  and  your  amber  mouthpiece 
with  a  feather  dipped  in  spirits  of  lavender.  Never  suffer 
the  conduit  to  remain  discolored  or  stuffed. 

6.  A  German  receiver  can  be  washed  out  like  a  teacup, 
and  the  oil  collected  is  of  value,  but  a  meerschaum  should 
never  be  wetted.  A  small  sponge  at  the  end  of  a  wire 
dipped  in  sweet  oil  should  be  used  carefully  and  persistently 
round  and  round,  coaxing  out  any  hard  concretions,  till  the 
inside  be  smooth  in  its  dark  polished  grain,  of  a  rich  mahogany 
tint.  The  outside,  also,  .well  polished  with  sweet  oil  and 
stale  milk,  then  enveloped  in  chamois  leather.  The  rich 
dark  coloring  is  the  pledge  of  your  safety — better  there  than 
darkening  your  own  brains. 

"  The  pale  gold  c'noster  and  Turkey  have  now  given  way 
to  the  splendid  varieties  of  America,  and  my  knowledge 
halts  behind  the  age.  The  black  sticks  resembling  lollipops 
are  said  to  be  compounds  of  rum,  bullocks'  blood  and  tobacco 
lees.  A  taste  for  them,  when  once  contracted,  is  abiding. 
Fine  volatile  tobacco,  with  aromatic  delicacy,  requires  a  long 
tube ;  used  in  a  short  pipe  of  modern  fashion,  they  parch 
and  shrivel  the  tongue.  In  short,  what  is  true  of  all  other 
pleasures  is  also  true  of  tobacco-smoking.  Fruition  is  some- 
times too  rapid  for  enjoyment,  as  "the  dram-drinker  is  less 
wise  than  the  calm  imbiber  of  the  fragrant  vintage  of  the 
Garonne.  With  Burke's  common  sense  I  began,  and  with 
it  I  end.  Depurate  vice  of  all  her  offensiveness,  and  you 
prune  her  of  half  her  evil.  Let  not  your  love  of  indulgence 
be  so  inordinate  as  to  purchase  short  pleasure  by  impairing 
health,  neglecting  duty,  or,  while  promoting  your  own 
self-complacency,   allow   yourself   to   become   permanently 


212 


A  TOBACCO  WORLD. 


revolting  to  society,  by  offending  more  senses  as  well  as 
more  principles  than  one.' " 

Mantegazza,  one  of  the  most  brilliant  of  all  writers  on 
tobacco,  in  alluding  to  the  enchantment  of  the  "  weed," 
says : — 

"  If  a  winged  inhabitant  of  some  remote  world  felt  the 
impulse  to  traverse  space,  and,  with  an  astronomical  map,  to 
fly  round  our  planetary  system,  he  would  at  once  recognize 
the  earth  by  the  odor  of  tobacco  which  it  exhales,  forasmuch 


MODERN   SMOKERS. 


as  all  known  nations  smoke  the  nicotian  herb.  And  thou- 
sands and  thousands  of  men,  if  compelled  to  limit  themselves 
to  a  single  nervous  aliment,  would  relinquish  wine  and 
coffee,  opium  and  brandy,  and  cling  fondly  to  the  precious 
narcotic  leaf.  Before  Columbus,  tobacco  was  not  smoked 
except  in  America  ;  and  now,  after  a  lapse  of  a  few  centuries 
in  the  furthest  part  of  China  and  in  Japan,  in  the  island  of 
Oceanica  as  in  Lapland  and  Siberia,  rises  from  the  hut  of  the 
savaire  and  from  the  palace  of  the  prince,  along  with  the 
smoke  of  the  fireplace,  where  man  bakes  his  bread  and  warms 
his  heart,  another  odorous  smoke,  which  man  inhales  and 


CRUELTY  TO  SMOKERS.  213 

breathes  forth  again  to  soothe  his  pain  and  to  vanquish  fatigue 
and  anxiety. 

"  In  the  early  times  of  the  introduction  of  tobacco,  smokers 
in  many  countries  were  condemned  to  infamous  and  cruel 
punishments;  had  their  noses  and  their  lips  cut  off, and  with 
blackened  faces  and  mounted  on  an  ass,  exposed  to  the 
coarse  jests  of  the  vilest  vagabonds  and  the  insults  of  the 
multitude.  But  now  the  hangman  smokes,  and  the  criminal 
condemned  to  death  smokes  before  being  hanged.  The  king 
in  his  gilt  coach  smokes  ;  and  the  assassin  smokes  who  lies  in 
wait  to  throw  down  before  the  feet  of  the  horses  the  murder- 
ous bomb.  The  human  family  spends  every  year  two  thou- 
sand six  hundred  and  seventy  millions  of  francs  (about  a 
hundred  millions  in  English  money)  on  tobacco,  which  is  not 
food,  which  is  not  drink,  and  without  which  it  contrived  to 
live  for  a  long  succession  of  ages. 

"  In  the  discomfitures  and  disasters  which  befell  the  Army 
of  Lavalle,  in  the  civil  wars  of  the  Argentine  Republic,  the 
poor  fugitives  had  to  suffer  the  most  horrible  privations, 
which  can  be  imagined.  By  degrees  the  tobacco  came  to  an 
end,  and  the  Argentines  smoked  dry  leaves.  One  man,  more 
fortunate  than  his  comrades,  continued  to  use  with  much 
economy  the  most  precious  of  all  his  stores — tobacco.  A  fel- 
low soldier  begged  to  be  allowed  to  put  the  economist's  pipe 
in  his  own  mouth,  and  thus  to  inhale  at  second-hand  the 
adored  smoke,  paying  two  dollars  for  the  privilege.  What  is 
more  striking  still,  when,  in  1843,  the  convicts  in  the  prison 
of  Epinal,  France,  who  had  for  some  time  been  deprived  of 
tobacco,  rose  in  revolt,  their  cry  was  '  tobacco  or  death ! ' 
When  Col.  Seybourg  was  marching  in  the  interior  of  Suri- 
nam against  negro  rebels,  and  the  soldiers  had  to  bear  the 
most  awful  hardships,  they  smoked  paper,  they  chewed  leaves 
and  leather,  and  found  the  lack  of  tobacco  the  greatest  of  all 
their  trials  and  torments." 

Elsewhere,  inquiring  what  nervous  aliments  harmonize  the 
one  with  the  other,  he  says  : — 

"  The  only,  the  true,  the  legitimate  companion  of  coffee  is 
the  nicotian  plant;  and  wisely  and  well  the  Turkish  epicures 
declare  that  for  coffee — the  drink  of  Heaven — tobacco  is  the 
salt.  The  smoke  of  a  puro,  of  a  manilla,  or  of  real  Turkish 
tobacco,  which  passes  amorously  through  the  voluptuous  tip 
of  amber,  blends  magnificently  with  tlie  austere  aroma  of 
the  coffee,  and  the  inebriated  palate  is  agitated  between  a 
caress  and  a  rebuke." 


214  QUAINT  WHIMS. 

From  a  Southern  paper  we  extract  these  whimsical  h'nes. 
"  On  the  Great  Fall  in  the  Price  of  Tobacco  in  1801,"  by 
Hugh  Montgomery,  Lynchburgh,  Va., 

"Lately  a  planter  chanced  to  pop 

His  head  into  a  barber's  shop — 

Begged  to  be  shaved ;  it  soon  was  done, 

When  Strap  (inclined  oft-times  to  fun,) 

Doubling  the  price  he'd  asked  before, 

Instead  of  two  pence  made  it  four. 

The  planter  said,  '  You  sure  must  grant. 

Your  charge  is  most  exhorbitant.' 

'  Not  so,'  quoth  Strap,  '  I'm  right  and  you  are  wrong, 

For  since  tobacco  fell,  your  face  is  twice  as  long.'" 

Another  quaint  whim  in  the  form  of  an  advertisement  for 
a  lost  meerschaum   is  from  an  Australian  paper : 

"  To  Honest  men  and  others, — Driving  from  Hale  Town 
to  Bridgetown,  on  Sunday,  last,  the  advertiser  lost  a  cigar 
holder  with  the  face  of  a  pretty  girl  on  it.  The  intriirsic 
value  of  the  missing  article  is  small,  but  as  the  owner  has 
been  for  the  last  few  months  converting  the  young  lady  from 
a  blonde  into  a  brunette,  he  would  be  glad  to  get  it  back 
again.  If  it  was  picked  up  by  a  gentleman,  on  reading  this 
notice,  he  will,  of  course,  send  it  to  the  address  below.  If 
it  was  picked  up  by  a  poor  man,  who  could  get  a  few  shil- 
lings by  selling  it,  on  his  bringing  it  to  the  address  below, 
he  shall  be  paid  the  full  amount  of  its  intrinsic  value. 
If  it  was  picked  up  by  a  thief,  let  him  deliver  it,  and  he  shall 
be  paid  a  like  amount,  and  thus  for  once  can  do  an  honest 
action,  without  being  a  penny  the  worse  for  it." 

A  humorous  writer  thus  discourses  on  man,  who  he 
denominates  as  "common  clays"  :  "  Yet  we  are  all  common 
clays  !  There  are  long  clays  and  short  clays,  coarse  clays  and 
refined  clays,  and  the  latter  are  pretty  scarce,  that's  a  fact. 
To  follow  out  the  simile,  life  is  the  tobacco  with  which  we 
are  loaded,  and  when  the  vital  spark  is  applied  we  live ; 
when  that  tobacco  is  exhausted  we  die,  the  essence  of  our 
life  ascending  from  the  lukewarm  clay  when  the  last  fibre 
burns  out,  as  a  curl  of  smoke  from  the  ashes  in  the  bowl  of 
the  pipe,  and  mingling  with  the  perfumed  breeze  of  heaven, 
or  the  hot  breath  of — well,  never  mind ;  we  hope  not.  Then 
the  clay  is  cold,  and  glows  no  more  from  the  fire  within ;  the 
pipe  is  broken,  and  ceases  to  comfort  and  console.      We  say, 


MEN  LIKE  PIPES. 


215 


*  A  friend  has  left  us,'  or  '  Poor  old  Joe ;  his  pipe  is  out.' 
"We  have  all  a  certain  supply  of  life,  or,  if  we  would  pursue 
the  comparison,  a  share  of  tobacco.  Some  young  men 
smoke  too  rapidly,  even  voraciously,  and  thus  exhaust  their 
share  before  their  proper  time, — then   we  say   they   have 

*  lived  too  fast,"  or  '  pulled  at  their  pipes  too  hard.'  Others, 
on  the  contrary,  make  their  limited  supply  go  a  long  way, 
and  when  they  are  taking  their  last  puffs  of  life's  perfumed 
plant  their  energy  is  unimpaired  ;  they  can  run  a  race,  walk 
a  mile  with  any  one,  and  show  few  wrinkles  upon  their  brow, 

"  A  delicate  person  is  like  a  pipe  with  a  crack  in  the  bowl, 


THE   ARTIST. 


for  it  takes  continued  and  careful  pulling  to  keep  his  light 
in ;  and  to  take  life  is  like  willfully  dashing  a  lighted  pipe 
from  the  mouth  into  fragments,  and  scattering  the  sparks  to 
the  four  winds  of  heaven.     An  artist  is  a  good  coloring  pipe ; 


216 


UNIVERSAL  USE. 


an  attractive  orator  is  a  pipe  that  draws  well ;  a  communist  is 
a  foul  pipe ;  a  well-educated  woman  whose  conversation  ia 
attractive  is  a  pipe  with  a  nice  mouthpiece ;  a  girl  of  the 
period  is  a  fancy  pipe,  the  ornament  of  which  is  liable  to 
chip ;  a  female  orator  on  woman's  rights  is  invariably  a  plain 
pipe  ;  an  old  toper  is  a  well-seasoned  pipe ;  an  escaped  thief 
is  a  cutty  pipe,  and  the  policeman  in  pursuit  is  a  shilling 
pipe,  for  is  he  not  a  Bob  ? " 

From  these  ingenious  "  conceits  "  we  turn  to  a  few  thoughts 
on  the  present  condition  and  history  of  the  plant. 

The  calumet  or  pipe  of  peace,  decorated  with  all  the  splen- 
dor of  savage  taste,  is  smoked  by  the  red  man  to  ratify  good 
feeling  or  confirm  some  treaty  of  peace.  The  energetic 
Yankee  bent  upon  the  accomplishment  of  his  ends,   puffs 

vigorously  at  his  cigar 
and  with  scarcely  a 
passing  notice,  strides 
over  obstacles  that  lie 
in  his  path  of  whatever 
nature  they  may  be. 
The  dancing  Spaniard 
with  his  eternal  casta- 
nets whispers  but  a 
^  word  to  his  dark-eyed 
"^~  senorita  as  he  hands  her 
another  perfumed 
^  cigarette.  The  loung- 
^  ing  Italian  hissing 
intrigues  under  the 
shadow  of  an  ancient 
portico,  'smokes  on  as 
he  stalks  over  the 
proud  place  where  the  blood  of  Csesar  dyed  the  stones  of 
the  Capitol,  or  where  the  knife  of  Virginias  flashed  in 
the  summer  sun.  The  Turk  comes  forth  from  the  Mosque 
only  to  smoke.  The  priest  of  Nicaragua  with  solemn  mien 
strides  up  the  aisle  and  lights  the  altar  candles  with  the  fire 
struck  from  his  cigar.  The  hardy  Laplander  invites  the 
stranger  to  his  hut  and  offers  him  his  pipe  while  he  inquires, 


THE    YANKEE    SMOKER. 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  TOBACCO.  217 

if  he  comes  from  the  Land  of  tobacco.  The  indigent  Jakut 
exchanges  his  most  vahiable  furs  and  skins  for  a  few  ounces 
of  tlie  "  Circassian  weed."  Its  charms  are  recognized  by  the 
gondolier  of  Venice  and  the  Muleteer  of  Spain.  The 
Switzcr  lights  his  pipe  amid  Alpine  heights.  The  tourist 
climbing  ^tna  or  Vesuvius'  rugged  side,  puffs  on  though 
they  perchance  have  long  since  ceased  to  smoke.  Tobacco, 
soothed  the  hardships  of  Cromwell's  soldiers  and  gave  novelty 
to  the  court  life  of  the  dauojhters  of  Louis  XIV,  delighted 
the  courtiers  of  Queen  Elizabeth  and  bidding  defiance  to  the 
ire  of  her  successors,  the  Stuarts,  has  never  ceased  to  hold 
sway  over  court  and  camp,  as  well  as  over  the  masses  of  the 
people. 

In  nothing  cultivated  has  there  been  so  remarkable  a 
development.  Originally  limited  to  the  natives  of  America, 
it  attracted  the  attention  of  Europeans  who  by  cultivation 
increased  the  size  and  quality  of  the  plant.  But  not  alone  has 
the  plant  improved  in  form  and  quality,  the  rude  implements 
once  used  by  the  Indians  have  given  away  (even  among  them- 
selves) to  those  of  improved  form  and  modern  style.  These 
facts  are  without  a  doubt  among  the  most  curious  that  com- 
merce presents.  That  a  plant  primarily  used  only  by  savages, 
should  succeed  in  spite  of  the  greatest  opposition  in  becom- 
ing one  of  the  greatest  luxuries  of  the  civilized  world,  is  a 
fact  without  parallel.  It  can  almost  be  said,  so  universally 
is  it  used,  that  its  claims  are  recognized  by  all.  Though 
hated  by  kings  and  popes  it  was  highly  esteemed  bj'"  their 
subjects.  Their  delight  in  the  new  found  novelty  was 
unbounded  and  doubtless  they  could  sing  in  praise  as  Byron 
did  in  later  times  of: 

"  Sublime  tobacco  which  from  East  to  West 
Cheers  the  tar's  labor  and  the  Turkman's  rest." 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

SNUFF,    SNUFF-BOXES   AND   SNUFF-TAKERS. 

HE  custom  of  snuff-taking  is  as  old  at  least  as  the 
discovery  of  the  tobacco  plant.  The  first  account 
we  have  of  it  is  given  by  Roman  Pane,  the  friar  who 
accompanied  Columbus  on  his  second  voyage  of 
discovery  (1494),  and  who  alludes  to  its  use  among  the  Indians 
by  means  of  a  cane  half  a  cubit  long.     Ewbank  says  : 

"  Much  has  been  written  on  a  revolution  so  unique  in  its 
origin,  unsurpassed  in  incidents  and  results,  and  constituting 
one  of  the  most  singular  episodes  in  human  history  ;  but 
next  to  nothing  is  recorded  of  whence  the  various  processes 
of  manufacture  and  uses  were  derived.  Some  imagine  the 
popular  pabulum*  for  the  nose  of  translantic  origin.  No  such 
thing!  Columbus  first  beheld  smokers  in  the  Antilles. 
Pizarro  found  chewers  in  Peru,  but  it  was  in  the  country  dis- 
covered by  Cabral  that  the  great  sternutatory  was  origiually 
found.  Brazilian  Indians  were  the  Fathers  of  snuff,  and  its 
best  fabricators.  Though  counted  among  the  least  refined  of 
aborigines,  their  taste  in  this  matter  was  as  pure  as  that  of 
the  fashionable  world  of  the  East.  Their  snuff  has  never 
been  surpassed,  nor  their  apparatus  for  making  it." 

Soon  after  the  introduction  and  cultivation  of  tobacco  in 
Spain  and  Portugal  its  use  in  the  form  of  snuff  came  in  vogue 
and  from  these  notions  it  spread  rapidly  over  Europe,  par- 
ticularly in  France  and  Italy.     It  is  said  to  have  been  used 

•  Dr.  John  Hill  in  his  tract  "  Cautions  against  the  Immoderate  use  of  ennff"  gives  the 
following  definition  of  it.  "  The  dried  leaves  of  tobacco,  rasped,  beaten,  or  otherwise 
reduced  to  powder,  make  what  we  call  snutf."  This  tract  was  published  in  1761.  The  author, 
•fterwards  Sir  John  Hill,  was  equally  celebrated  as  a  physician  and  a  writer  of  farces,  at 
denoted  by  the  following  epigram  by  Garrick : 

"  For  physic  and  farces  his  equal  there  scarce  is  ; 
His  farces  are  physic,  his  physic  a  farce  is." 

218 


ITS  INTRODUCTION.  219 

first  in  France*  by  the  wife  of  Henry  II.,  Catherine  de 
Medici,  and  that  it  was  first  used  at  court  during  the  latter 
part  of  the  Sixteenth  Century,  The  Queen  seemed  to  give 
it  a  good  standing  in  society  and  it  soon  became  the  fashion 
to  use  the  powder  by  placing  a  little  on  the  back  of  the  hand 
and  inhaling  it.  The  use  of  snufl*  greatly  increased  from  the 
fact  of  its  supposed  medicinal  properties  and  its  curative 
powers  in  all  diseases,  particularly  those  affecting  the  head, 
hence  the  wide  introduction  of  snuff-takin^g  in  Europe. 
Fairholt  says  of  its  early  use  : 

"  Though  thus  originally  recommended  for  adoption  as  a 
medicine,  it  soon  became  better  known  as  a  luxury  and  the 
gratification  of  a  pinch  was  generally  indulged  in  Spain, 
Italy  and  France,  during  the  early  part  of  the  Seventeenth 
Century.  It  was  the  grandees  of  the  French  Court  who 
*  set  the  fashion '  of  snuff,  with  all  its  luxurious  additions  of 
scents  and  expensive  boxes.  It  became  common  in  the 
Court  of  Louis  le  Grand,  although  that  monarch  had  a  decided 
antipathy^rto  tobacco  in  any  form." 

Says  an  English  writer  "Between  1660  and  1700,  the 
custom  of  taking  snuff,  though  it  was  disliked  by  Louis  XIV., 
was  almost  as  prevalent  in  France  as  it  is  at  the  present  time. 
In  this  instance,  the  example  of  the  monarch  was  disregarded ; 
tobac  en  poudre  or  tohao  rapef  as  snuff"  was  sometimes 
called  found  favor  in  the  noses  of  the  French  people ;  and 
all  men  of  fashion  prided  themselves  on  carrying  a  handsome 
Bnuff-box.  Ladies  also  took  snuff;  and  the  belle  whose 
grace  and  propriety  of  demeanour  were  themes  of  general 
admiration,  thought  it  not  unbecoming  to  take  a  pinch  at 
dinner,  or  to  blow  her  pretty  nose  in  her  embroidered  mou^ 
choir  with  the  sound  of  a  trombone.  Louis  endeavored  to 
discourage  the  use  of  snuff  and  his  valets-de-chambre  were 
obliged  to  renounce  it  when  they  were  appointed  to  their 
office.  One  of  these  gentlemen,  the  Due  d'  Harcourt,  was 
supposed  to  have  died  of  apoplexy  in  consequence  of  having, 
in  order  to  please  the  king,  totally  discontinued  the  habit 
which  he  had  before  indulged  to  excess." 

Other  grandees  were  less  accommodating:   thus  we  are 


•  An  English  writer  gives  a  different  account— "The  custom  of  taking  snuff  as  a  naBal 
gratiQcatioii  does  not  appear  to  be  of  earlier  date  than  1620,  though  the  powdered  leaves  of 
tobacco  were  occasionally  prescribed  aa  a  medicine  long  before  that  time.  It  appears  to 
have  first  become  prevalent  in  Spain,  and  from  thence  to  have  passed  into  Italy  and  France. 

t  Grated  tobacco. 


220 


BOXES  AND  GRATERS. 


told  that  Marechal  d'  Huxelles  used  to  cover  his  cravat  and 
dress  with  it.  The  Royal  Physician,  Monsieur  Fagon,  is 
reported  to  have  devoted  his  best  energies  to  a  public  oration 
of  a  very  violent  kind  against  snuff,  which  unfortunately 
failed  to  convince  his  auditory,  as  the  excited  lecturer  in  his 
most  enthusiastic  moments  refreshed  his  nose  with  a  pinch. 

Although  disliked  by  the  most  polished  prince  of  Europe, 
the  use  of  snuff  increased  and  soon  spread  outside  the  limits 
of  the  court  of  France  and  in  a  short  time  became  a  favorite 
mode  of  using  tobacco  as  it  continues  to  be  with  many  at 
this  day.*  The  snuff-boxes  of  this  period  were  very  elegant 
and  were  decorated  with  elaborate  paintings  or  set  with  gems. 
It  was  the  custom  to  carry  both  a  snuff-box  and  a  tobacco 
grater,  which  was  often  as  expensive  and  elegant  as  the  snuff- 
box itself.     Many  of  them  were  richly  carved  and  ornamented 

in  the  most  superb  manner.  Others 
bore  the  titles  and  arms  of  the  owner 
and  it  was  considered  as  part  of  a 
courtier's  outfit  to  sport  a  magnificent 
box  and  grater.  The  French  mode 
of  manufacturing  snuff  was  to  satu- 
rate the  leaves  in  water,  then  dry 
them  and  color  according  to  the 
shade  desired.  The  perfume  was 
then  added  and  the  snuff  was  pre- 
pared for  use.  The  kind  of  tobacco 
used  was  "  Tobac  de  Virginie."  Spanish  snuff  was  perfumed 
in  the  same  manner  with  the  additional  use  of  orange-flower 
water.  Carver  gives  the  mode  of  manufacturing  snuff  in 
America  (1779). 

"  Being  possessed  of  a  tobacco  wheel,  which  is  a  very 
simple  machine,  they  spin  the  leaves,  after  they  are  properly 
cured,  into  a  twist  of  any  size  they  think  fit ;  and  having 


A  TOBACCO   GRATER. 


*  The  Rev.  S.  'Wesley  speaking  of  the  abuses  of  tobacco,  intimates  that  the  human  ear,  will 
Dot  long,  remain  exempted  from  its  afBictiun. 

"  To  such  a  height  witli  gome  Is  fashion  grown 
They  feed  they  very  nostrils  with  a  spoon. 
One,  and  but  one  degree  is  wanting  yet. 
To  make  their  senseless  luxury  complete; 
Some  choice  regale,  useless  as  snuff  and  dear. 
To  feed  the  mazy  windings  of  the  ear. 


MODE  OF  PREPARATION.  221 

folded  it  into  rolls  of  about  twenty  pounds  weight  each,  they 
lay  it  bv  iov  use.  In  this  state  it  will  keep  for  several  years, 
and  be  "continually  improving,  as  it  every  liour  grows  milder. 
When  they  have  occasion  to  use  it,  they  take  off  such  a  length 
as  they  think  necessary,  which,  if  designed  for  smoking,  they 
cut  into  small  pieces,  for  chewing  into  larger,  as  choice 
directs ;  if  they  intend  to  make  snuff  of  it  they  take  a  quan- 
tity from  the  roll,  and  laying  it  in  a  room  where  a  fire  is 
kept,  in  a  day  or  two  it  will  become  dry,  and  being  rubbed 
on  a  grater  will  produce  a  genuine  snuff".  Those  in  more 
iuiproved  regions  who  like  their  snuff'  scented,  apply  to  it 
such  odoriferous  waters  as  they  can  procure,  or  think  most 
pleasing." 

Dutch  snuff  was  only  partially  ground,  and  was  therefore 
coarse  and  harsh  in  its  effects  when  inhaled  into  the  nostrils. 
The  Irish,  according  to  Everards,  used  large  quantities  of 
enuff  "  to  purge  tlieir  brains."  Snuff-taking  became  general 
in  England*  at  the  commencement  of  the  Seventeenth  Cen- 
tury,  and  scented  snuffs  were  used  in  preference  to  the  plain. 
Frequent  mention  is  made  in  the  plays  of  this  time  of  its  use 
and  varieties.  In  Congreve's  "Love  for  Love,"  one  of  the 
characters  presents  a  young  lady  with  a  box  of  snuff,  on 
receipt  of  which  she  says,  "  Look  you  here  what  Mr.  Tattle 
has  given  me !  Look  you  here,  cousin,  here's  a  snuff-box ; 
nay,  there's  snuff  in't :  here,  will  you  have  any  ?  Oh,  good ! 
how  sweet  it  is !" 

Portuguese  snuff  seemed  to  be  in  favor  and  was  delicately 
perfumed.  It  was  made  from  the  fibres  of  the  leaves,  and 
was  considered  among  many  to  be  the  finest  kind  of  the 
"pungent  dust."  Some  varieties  of  snuff  were  named  after 
the  scents  employed  in  flavoring  them.  In  France  many 
kinds  became  popular  from  the  fact  of  their  use  at  court,  and 
by  the  courtiers  throughout  the  kingdom.  Pope  notes  the 
use  of  the  snuff-box  by  the  fops  and  courtiers  of  his  time  in 
this  manner : — 


•"The  cnetom  of  taking  snuff  was  prohaWy  brought  Into  England  by  some  of  the  followers 
Of  Charles  II..  about  the  time  of  the  KeBtoration.  Duriug  his  rtigu,  and  that  of  his  brother, 
)t  does  not  appear  to  have  gained  iiiiich  ground:  but  towards  tlie  end  of  the  Seventeenth 
Century  it  had  become  ouile  the"  ra^e"  wiUi  beaux,  who  at  tliat  period,  as  well  as  In  the 
reign  of  Queen  Anne,  souieiiiues  carried  lUeir  Bnutf  la  the  hollow  ivory  head  of  their  canes." 
—APuper  of  Tobacco. 


222  SNUFFBOXES. 

"  Sir  Plume  of  amber  snuff-box  justly  vain, 
And  the  nice  conduct  of  a  clouded  cane ; 
With  earnest  eyes,  and  round,  unthinking  face, 
He  first  the  snuff-box  open'd,  then  the  case." 

The  mode  of  "  tapping  the  box  "  before  opening  was  char- 
acteristic of  the  beaux  and  fops  of  this  period,  and  is  com- 
mented on  in  a  poem  on  snuff : — 

"  The  lawyer  so  grave,  when  he  opens  his  case. 
In  obscurity  finds  it  is  hid. 
Till  the  bright  glass  of  knowledge  illumines  his  face, 
As  he  gives  the  three  taps  on  the  lid." 

Spain,  Portugal,  and  France  early  in  the  Seventeenth 
Century  became  noted  as  the  producers  of  the  finest  kinds 
of  snuff.  In  Spain  and  Portugal  it  was  the  favorite  mode  of 
using  tobacco,  and  rare  kinds  were  compounded  and  sold  at 
enormous  prices.  Its  use  in  France  by  the  fair  sex  is  thus 
commented  on  by  a  French  writer : — 

"  Everything  in  France  depends  upon  la  mode  '  and  it  has 


DKMI-JOIJRNiKS. 

pleased  la  mode  to  patronize  this  disgusting  custom,  and 
carry  about  with  them  small  boxes  which  they  term  demi- 
journeesy 

The  most  expensive  materials  were  employed  in  the  manu- 
facture of  snuff-boxes,  such  as  agate,  mosaics,  and  all  kinds 
of  rare  wood,  while  many  were  of  gold,  studded  with 
diamonds.  Some  kinds  were  made  of  China  mounted  in 
metal,  and  were  very  fanciful.  In  "Pandora's  Box,"  a 
"Satyr  against  Snuff,"  1719,  may  be  found  the  following 
description  of  the  snuff-boxes  then  in  vogue : 


FAMOUS  SNUFFS.  223 

"  For  females  fair,  and  formal  fops  to  please, 
The  mines  are  robb'd  of  ore,  of  shells  the  seas, 
With  all  that  mother-earth  and  beast  afford 
To  man,  unworthy  now,  tho'  once  their  lord : 
Which  wrought  into  a  box,  with  all  the  show 
Of  art  the  greatest  artist  can  bestow ; 
Charming  in  shape,  with  polished  rays  of  light, 
A  joint  so  fine  it  shuns  the  sharpest  sight ; 
Must  still  be  graced  with  all  the  radiant  gems 
And  precious  stones  that  e'er  arrived  in  Thames. 
Within  the  lid  the  painter  plays  his  part, 
And  with  his  pencil  proves  his  matchless  art ; 
There  drawn  to  life  some  spark  or  mistress  dwells, 
Like  hermits  chaste  and  constant  to  their  cells." 

Some  of  the  more  highly  perfumed  snuffs  sold  for  thirty 
shillings  a  pound,  M'hile  the  cheaper  kinds,  such  as  English 
Kappee  and  John's  Lane,  could  be  bought  for  two  or  three 
shillings  per  pound.  There  are  at  least  two  hundred  kinds 
of  snuff  well  known  in  commerce.  The  Scotch  and  Irish 
snuffs  are  for  the  most  part  made  from  the  midribs ;  the 
Strasburgh,  French,  Spanish,  and  Russian  snuffs  from  the 
soft  parts  of  the  leaves.  An  English  writer  gives  the  foUow- 
ins:  account  of  some  of  the  well-known  snuffs  and  the  method 
of  manufacturing : — 

"  For  the  famous  fancy  snuff  known  as  Maroco,  the  recipe 
is  to  take  forty  parts  of  French  or  St.  Omer  tobacco,  with 
twenty  parts  of  fermented  Virginia  stalks  in  powder ;  the 
whole  to  be  ground  and  sifted.  To  this  powder  must  be 
added  two  pounds  and  a  half  of  rose  leaves  in  fine  powder ; 
and  the  whole  must  be  moistened  with  salt  and  water  and 
thoroughly  incorporated.  After  that  it  must  be  '  worked 
up '  with  cream  and  salts  of  tartar,  and  packed  in  lead  to 
preserve  its  delicate  aroma.  The  celebrated  'gros  grain. 
Paris  snuff'  is  composed  of  equal  parts  of  Amersfoort  and 
James  River  tobacco,  and  the  scent  is  imported  by  a  '  sauce,' 
among  the  ingredients  of  which  are  salt,  soda,  tamarinds, 
red  wine,  syrup,  cognac,  and  cream  of  tartar." 

The  mode  of  manufacture  of  snuff'  now  is  far  different  than 
that  employed  in  the  Seventeenth  Century.  Then  the  leaves 
were  simply  dried  and  made  fine  by  rubbing  them  together 
in  the  hands,  or  ground  in  some  rude  mill ;  still  later  the 


224 


A  CELEBRATED  MANUFACTURER. 


tobacco  was  washed  or  cleansed  in  water,  dried,  and  then 
ground.  Now,  however,  the  tobacco  undergoes  quite  a 
process,  and  must  be  kept  packed  several  months  before  it  is 
ground  into  snuff.  One  of  the  most  celebrated  manufacturers 
of  snuff  was  James  Gillespie,  of  Edinburgh,  who  compounded 
the  famous  variety  bearing  his  name.  The  following  account 
of  him  we  take  from  "  The  Tobacco  Plant :" — 

"  In  the  High  Street  of  Edinburgh,  a  little  east  from  the 
place  where  formerly  stood  the  Cross, — 

"  '  Dun-Edin's  Cross,  a  pillar'd  stone, 
Rose  on  a  turret  octagon,' 

was  situated  the  shop  of  James  Gillespie,  the  celebrated 

snuff  manufacturer.  The  shop  is 
still  occupied  by  a  tobacconist, 
whose  sign  is  the  head  of  a  typical 
negro,  and  in  one  of  the  windows 
is  exhibited  the  effigy  of  a  High- 
lander, who  is  evidently  a  compe- 
tent judge  of  'sneeshin.'  Not 
much  is  known  regarding  the 
personal  history  of  James  Gilles- 
pie, but  it  is  understood  that  he 
was  born  shortly  after  the  Jacobite 
rebellion  of  1715,  at  Roslin,  a  pic- 
turesque village  about  six  miles 
from  Edinburgh.  He  became  a 
tobacconist  in  Edinburgh,  along 
with  his  brother  John,  and  by  the 
Wercise  of  steady  industry  and 
frugality,  he  was  enabled  to  pur- 
chase Spylaw,  a  small  estate  in 
the  parish  of  Colinton,  about  four 
miles  from  Edinburgh,  where  he  erected  a  snuff-mill  on  the 
banks  of  the  Water  of  Leith,  a  small  stream  which  flows 
through  the  finely -wooded  grounds  of  Spylaw.  The  younger 
brother,  John,  attended  to  the  shop,  while  the  subject  of  our 
notice  resided  at  Spylaw,  where  he  superintended  the  snuff- 
mill.  Mr.  Gillespie  was  able  to  continue  his  industrious 
habits  through  a  long  life,  and  having  made  some  successful 
speculations  in  tobacco  during  the  war  of  American  Independ- 
ence, when  the  '  weed '  advanced  considerably  in  price,  he 
was  enabled  to  increase  his  Spylaw  estate  from  time  to  time 


JAMES    GILLESPIE, 


HABITS  AND  LIFE.  225 

by  making  additional  purchases  of  property  in  the  parish. 

"Mr.  Gillespie  remained  through  life  a  bachelor.  His 
establishment  at  Spy  law  was  of  the  simplest  description.  It 
is  said  that  he  invariably  sat  at  the  same  table  with  his  serv- 
ants, indulging  in  familiar  conversation,  and  entering  with 
much  spirit  into  their  amusements.  Newspapers  were  not 
60  widely  circulated  at  that  period  as  they  are  now,  and  on 
tlie  return  of  any  of  his  domestics  from  the  city,  which  one 
of  them  daily  visited,  he  listened  with  great  attention  to  the 
'news,  and  enjoyed  with  much  zest  the  narration  of  any 
jocular  incident  that  had  occurred.  Mr.  Gillespie  had  a 
penchant  for  animals,  and  their  wants  were  carefully  attended 
to.  His  poultry,  equally  with  his  horses,  could  have  testified 
to  the  judicious  attention  which  he  bestowed  upon  them.  A 
stoiy  is  told  of  the  familiarity  between  the  laird  and  his 
riding  horse,  which  was  well-fed  and  full  of  spirit. 

"  The  animal  frequently  indulged  in  a  little  restive  curvet- 
ting with  its  master,  especially  when  the  latter  was  about  to 
get  into  the  saddle.  '  Come,  come,'  he  would  say,  on  such 
occasions,  addressing  the  animal  in  his  usual  quiet  way, 
'hae  dune,  noo,  for  ye'll  no  like  if  I  come  across  your  lugs 
(ears)  wi'  the  stick.' 

"  Even  in  his  old  age  Mr.  Gillespie  regularly  superintended 
the  operations  in  the  mill,  which  was  situated  in  the  rear  of 
his  house.  On  these  occasions  he  was  wrapped  in  an  old 
blanket  ingrained  with  snuff.  Though  he  kept  a  carriage  he 
very  seldom  used  it,  until  shortly  before  his  death,  when 
increasing  infirmities  caused  him  occasionally  to  take  a  drive. 
It  was  of  this  carriage,  plain  and  neat  in  its  design,  with 
nothing  on  its  panel  but  the  initials  'J.  G.'  that  the  witty 
Henry  Erskine  proposed  the  couplet — 

'  Who  would  have  thought  it 
That  noses  had  bought  it  ?* 

as  an  appropriate  motto.  In  those  days  snufi"  was  much  more 
extensively  used  than  at  present,  and  Mr.  Gillespie  was  in 
the  habit  of  gratuitously  filling  the  '  mulls'  of  many  of  the 
Edinburgh  characters  of  the  last  century.  Colinton  appears 
to  have  been  a  great  snuff-making  centre.  About  thirty 
years  ago  there  were  five  snuff  mills  in  operation  in  the 
parish,  the  produce  of  which  was  sold  in  Edinburgh.  Even 
now  a  considerable  quantity  of  snuff"  is  made  in  the  district, 
chiefly  by  grinders  to  the  trade. 
Murray,  alluding  to  the  popularity  of  the  custom  in 
15 


226 


THE  SNUFFING  PERIOD. 


FOPS  TAKING  SNUFF.     {FroTTi  an  old  pi'ltit) . 


England  during  the  reign  of  the  House  of  Brunswick,  sajs : — 

"The  reigns  of  the  four  Georges  may  be  entitled  the 
snuffino-  period  of  English  history.  The  practice  became  an 
appanage  of  fashion  before  1714,  as  it  has  continued  after 

1830,  to  be  the  comfort 


of  priests,  literary  men, 
highlanders,  tailors,  fac- 
tory hands,  and  old  peo- 
;  pie  of  both  sexes. 
George  lY.  was  a  na- 
sute  judge  of  snuifs,  and 
',  so  enamoured  of  the 
delectation,  that  in  each 
of  his  palaces  he  kept  a 
jar  chamber,  containing 
a  choice  assortment  of 
tobacco  powder,  pre- 
sided over  by  a  critical 
superintendent.  His  fa- 
vorite stimulant  in  the 
morning  was  violet  Strasburgh,  the  same  which  had  pre- 
viously helped  Queen  Charlotte  to  '  kill  the  day' — after  din- 
ner Garrotte  —  named  from  his  penchant  for  it.  King's 
Garrotte,  Martinique,  Etrenne,  Gld  Paris,  Bureau,  Gologne, 
Bordeaux,  Havre,  Princeza,  Eouen,  and  Rappee,  were  placed 
on  the  table,  in  as  many  rich  and  curious  boxes." 

Sterne,  in  his  "  Sentimental  Journey,"  gives  a  pleasing 
description  of  snuff-taking  with  the  poor  monk.  He  writes: 
"The  good  old  monk  was  Avithin  six  paces  of  us,  as  the 
idea  of  him  crossed  my  mind  ;  and  was  advancing  towards  us 
a  little  out  of  the  line,  as  if  uncertain  whether  he  should 
break  in  upon  us  or  no.  He  stoop'd,  however,  as  soon  as  he 
came  up  to  us  with  a  world  of  frankness;  and  having  a  horn 
snuff-box  in  his  hand,  he  presented  it  open  to  me. 

"  '  You  shall  taste  mine,'  said  I,  pulling  ont  my  box  (which 
was  a  small  tortoise  one),  and  putting  it  into  his  hand. 
" '  'Tis  most  excellent,'  said  the  monk. 
"'Then  do  me  the  favor,'  I  replied  'to  accept  of  the  box 
and  all,  and  when  you  take  a  pinch  out  of  it,  sometimes 
recollect  it  was  the  peace-offering  of  a  man  who  once  used 
you  unkindly,  but  not  from  his  heart.' 

"The  poor  monk  blushed  as  red  as  scarlet,  '  Mon  Dieu  ?' 
said  he,  pressing  his  hands  together,  *  you  never  used  me 
unkindly.' 


THE  MONK  AND  HIS  SNUFF-BOX. 


227 


"'I  should  think,'  said  tlic  ladj,  'lie  is  not  likel}'.' 

I  blushed  in  my  turn  ;  but  from  what  motive.*,  I  leave 
to  the  few  who  feel  to  analyze.  '  Excupe  me,  madam,'  replied 
I,  'I  treated  him  most  unkindly,  and  from  no  provocations.' 

'*  "Tis  impossible,'  said  the  lady. 

"'My  God!'  cried  the  monk,  with  a  warmth  of  assevera- 
tion which  seemed  not  to  belt  ng  to  him,  'the  fault  was  in 
me,  and  in  the  indiscretion  of  my  zeal.' 

"  The  lady  opposed  it,  and  1  joined  with  her  in  maintain- 
ing it  was  impossible,  that  a  spirit  so  regulated  as  his  could 
give  offence  to  any.  I  knew  not  that  contention  could  be 
rendered  so  sweet  and  pleasurable  a  thing  to  the  nerves  as  I 
then  felt  it.  "We  remained  silent,  without  any  sensation  of 
that  foolish  pain  which  takes  place  when,  in  a  circle,  yon  look 
for  ten  minutes  in  one  another's  faces  without  paying- a  word. 

"  Whilst  this  lasted,  the  monk  rubb'd  his  horn  box  upon 


HORN  SNtPy-nOXES. 

the  sleeve  of  his  tunic;  and  as  soon  as  it  had  acquired  a 
little  air  of  brightness  by  the  friction,  he  made  a  low  bow 
and  said,  'twas  too  late  to  say  whether  it  was  the  weakness 
or  goodness  of  our  tempers  which  liad  involved  us  in  ibis 
contest,  but  be  it  as  it  would,  he  begg'd  we  would  exchange 
boxes.  In  saying  this,  he  presented  this  to  me  with  one,  ms 
he  took  mine  from  me  in  the  other;  and  having  kissed  it, 
with  a  stream  of  good  nature  in  his  eyes,  he  put  it  into  his 
bosom,  and  took  his  leave.  I  guard  this  box  as  I  would  the 
instrumental  parts  of  my  religion,  to  help  my  mind  on  to 
something  better :  in  truth  I  ecldom  go  abroad  without  it ; 


228  "  A  PINCH  OP  SNUFF." 

and  oft  and  many  a  time  have  I  called  up  by  it  the  courteous 
spirit  of  its  owner,  to  regulate  my  own  in  the  jostlings  of 
the  world ;  they  had  found  full  employment  for  his,  as  I 
learnt  from  his  story,  till  about  the  forty-fifth  year  of  his 
age,  when  upon  some  military  services  ill-requited,  and  meet- 
ing at  the  same  time  with  a  disappointment  in  the  tenderest 
of  passions,  he  abandoned  the  sword  and  the  sex  together, 
and  took  sanctuary,  not  so  much  in  his  convent  as  in  himself. 
I  feel  a  damp  upon  my  spirits,  as  I  am  going  to  add,  that  in 
ray  last  return  through  Calais,  upon  inquiring  after  Father 
Lorenzo,  I  heard  he  had  been  dead  near  three  months,  and 
was  buried,  not  in  his  convent,  but  according  to  his  desire, 
in  a  little  cemetery  belonging  to  it  about  two  leagues  off.  I 
had  a  strong  desire  to  see  where  they  had  laid  him,  when, 
upon  pulling  out  his  little  horn  box,  as  I  sat  by  his  grave, 
and  plucking  a  nettle  or  two  at  the  head  of  it,  which  had  no 
business  to  grow  there,  they  all  struck  together  so  forcibly 
upon  my  affections  that  I  burst  into  a  flood  of  tears — but  I 
am  as  weak  as  a  woman ;  I  beg  the  world  not  to  smile,  but 
pity  me." 

Many  pleasing  effusions  have  been  written  promoted  doubt- 
less by  a  sneeze  among  which  the  following  .on  "A  pinch  of 
Snuff "  from  "  The  Sportsman  Magazine,"  exhibits  the  cus- 
tom and  the  benefits  ascribed  to  its  indulgence. 

"  With  mind  or  body  sore  distrest, 
Or  with  repeated  cares  opprest, 
What  sets  the  aching  heart  at  rest  ? 
A  pinch  of  snuff! 

"  Or  should  some  sharp  and  gnawing  pain 
Creep  round  the  noddle  of  the  brain, 
What  puts  all  things  to  rights  again  ? 
A  pinch  of  snuff  1 

"  When  speech  and  tongue  together  fail, 
What  helps  old  ladies  in  their  tale, 
And  adds  fresh  canvass  to  their  sail  ? 
A  pinch  of  snuff! 

"  Or  when  some  drowsy  parson  prays, 
And  still  more  drowsy  people  gaze. 
What  opes  their  eyelids  with  amaze  ? 
A  pinch  of  snuff! 


«  PANDORA'S  BOX."  229 

**  A  comfort  which  they  can't  forsake, 
What  is  it  some  would  rather  take, 
Than  good  roast  beef,  or  rich  plum  cake  ? 
A  pinch  of  snuff! 

"  Should  two  old  gossips  chance  to  sit, 
And  sip  their  slop,  and  talk  of  it, 
What  gives  a  sharpness  to  their  wit  ? 
A  pinch  of  snuff! 

"  What  introduces  Whig  or  Tory, 
And  reconciles  them  in  their  story, 
When  each  is  boasting  in  his  glory? 
A  pinch  of  snuff! 

"  What  warms  without  a  conflagration 
Excites  without  intoxication. 
And  rouses  without  irritation? 

A  pinch  of  snuff! 

"  When  friendship  fades,  and  fortune's  spent. 
And  hope  seems  gone  the  way  they  went. 
One  cheering  ray  of  joy  is  sent — 
A  pinch  of  snuff! 

"  Then  let  us  sing  in  praise  of  snuff! 
And  call  it  not  such  '  horrid  stuff,' 
At  which  some  frown,  and  others  puff, 
And  seem  to  flinch. 

"  But  when  a  friend  presents  a  box, 
Avoid  the  scruples  and  the  shocks 
Of  him  who  laughs  and  he  who  mocks. 
And  take  a  pinch!" 

From  "Pandora's  Box"  from  whicli  we  have  already 
quoted,  we  extract  the  following  in  which  the  use  of  snufE  is 
deprecated  by  the  author  : 

— "  now,  'tis  by  every  sort 
And  sex  adored,  from  Billingsgate  to  court. 
But  ask  a  dame  '  how  oysters  sell  ?  '  if  nice. 
She  begs  a  pinch  before  she  sets  a  price. 
Go  thence  to  'Change,  inquire  the  price  of  Stocks; 
Before  they  ope  their  lips  they  open  first  the  box. 
Next  pay  a  visit  to  the  Temple,  where 
The  lawyers  live,  who  gold  to  Heaven  prefer ; 
You'll  find  them  stupify'd  to  that  degree, 


230  PLEASURES  OF  SMELLING. 

They'll  take  a  pinch  before  they'll  take  their  fee. 

Then  make  a  step  and  view  the  splendid  court, 

Where  all  the  gay,  the  great,  the  good  resort; 

E'en  they,  whose  pregnant  skulls,  though  large  and  thick, 

Can  scarce  secure  their  native  sense  and  wit, 

Are  feeding  of  their  hungry  souls  with  pure 

Ambrosial  snuff.         *         ♦         *         * 

But  to  conclude:  the  gaudy  court  resign, 

T'  observe,  for  once,  a  place  much  more  divine. 

When  the  same  folly's  acted  by  the  good, 

And  is  the  sole  devotion  of  the  lewd ; 

The  church,  more  sacred  once,  is  what  we  mean, 

Where  now  they  flock  to  see  and  to  be  seen ; 

The  box  is  used,  the  book  laid  by,  as  dead, 

With  snuff,  not  Scripture,  there  the  soul  is  fed ; 

For  where  to  heaven  the  hands  by  one  of  those. 

Are  lifted,  twenty  have  them  at  the  nose ; 

And  while  some  pray,  to  be  from  sudden  death 

Deliver'd,  others  snuff  to  stop  their  breath." 

Paolo  Mantegazza,  one  of  the  most  brilliant  and  witty  of 
Italian  writers  on  tobacco,  says  of  its  use  and  "  some  of  the 
delights  that  may  be  imagined  through  the  sense  of  smell :" — 

"  Iluman  civilization  has  not  yet  learned  to  found  on  the 
sense  of  smell  aught  but  the  moderate  enjoyment  derived 
from  snufiing,  which,  conhned  within  the  narrow  circle  of  a 
few  sensations,  renders  us  incapable  of  entering  into  the  most 
delicate  pleasures  of  that  sense. 

"  Snutf  procures  us  the  rapture  of  a  tactile  irritation,  of  a 
slight  perfume ;  but,  above  all,  it  furnishes  the  charm  of  an 
intermittent  occupation  which  sootlies  us  by  interrupting, 
from  time  to  time,  our  labor.  At  other  times  it  renders 
idleness  less  insupportable  to  us,  by  breaking  it  into  the 
infinite  intervals  which  pass  from  one  pinch  of  snuff  to 
another.  Sometimes  our  snuff-box  arouses  us  from  torpor 
and  drowsiness ;  sometimes,  it  occupies  our  hands  when  in 
society  we  do  not  know  where  to  put  them  or  what  to  do 
with  them.  Finally,  snuff  and  snuffing  are  things  which  we 
can  love,  beca^^e  they  are  always  with  us;  and  we  can  season 
them  with  a  little  vanity  if  we  possess  a  snuff-box  of  silver  or 
of  gold,  which  we  open  continually  before  those  who  humbly 
content  themselves  with  snuff-boxes  of  bone  or  of  wood.  We 
gladly  concede  the  pleasures  of  snuffing  to  men  of  all  condi- 
tions, and  to  ladies  who,  having  passed  a  certain  age,  or  who, 
being  deformed,  have  no  longer  any  sex  ;  but  we  solemnly 


FREDERICK  THE  GREAT.  231 

and  resolutely  refuse  the  snuff-box  to  young  and  beautiful 
women,  who  ought  to  preserve  their  delicate  and  pretty  noses 
for  the  odors  of  the  mignonette  and  the  rose." 

With  royalty  snuff  has  been  a  prime  favorite.  Charles  III. 
of  Spain  had  a  great  predilection  for  rappee  snnff,  but  only 
indulged  his  inclination  by  stealth,  and  particularly  while 
shooting,  when  he  imagined  himself  to  be  unnoticed.  Fred- 
erick the  Great  and  Napoleon*  both  loved  and  used  large 
quantities  of  the  "  pungent  dust."  Of  the  former  the  follow- 
ing anecdote  is  related  : — 

"  The  cynical  temper  of  Frederick  the  Great  is  well  known. 
Once  when  his  sister,  the  Duchess  of   Brunswick,  was  at 
Potsdam,  Frederick  made  to  the  brave  Count  Schwerin  the 
present  of  a  gold  snuff-box.     On  the  lid  inside  was  painted 
the  head  of  an  ass.     Next  day,  when  dining  with  the  king, 
Schwerin,  with  some  ostentation,  put  his  snuff'-box  on  the 
table.     Wishing  to  turn  the  joke  agains^t  Schwerin,  the  king 
called  attention  to  the  snuff-box.     The  Duchess  took  it  up 
and  opened  it.     Immediately  she  exclaimed, '  What  a  striking 
likeness !     In  truth,  brother,  this  is  one  of  the  best  portraits 
I  have  ever  seen  of  you.'     Frederick,  embarrassed,  thought 
his  sister  was  carrying  the  jest  too  far.     She  passed  the  box 
to  her  neighbor,  who  uttered  similar  expressions  to  her  own. 
The  box  made  the  round  of  the  table,  and  every  one  was 
fervently  eloquent  about  the  marvelous  resemblance.     The 
king  was  puzzled  what  to  make  of  all  this.     When  the  box 
at  last  reached  his  hands,  he  saw,  to  his  great  sur|)rise,  that 
his  portrait  was  really  there.     Count  Schwerin  had  simply, 
with  exceeding  dispatch,  emploj'ed  an  artist  to  remove  the 
ass's  head,  and  to  paint  the  king's  head  instead.     Fi-ederick 
could  not  help  laughing  at  the  Count's  clever  trick,  which 
M'as  really  the  best  rebuke  of  his  own  bad  taste  and  want  of 
proper  and  respectful  feeling." 

"As  Frederick  William  1.,  of  Prussia,  was  eminently  the 
Smoking  King,  so  his  son  Frederick  the  Great  was  eminently 
the  Snutfing  King.  Perhaps  smoking  harmonizes  best  with 
action;  and  it  might,  without  much  stretch  oi'  fancy,  be 
shown  that  as  the  Prussian  monarch}'  was  founded  on  (obncco 
smoke,  it  flourished  on  snulf.  Possibly,  if  Napoleon  the  . 
Great,  who  like  Frederick  the  Great,  was  an  excessive  siiuftier, 

•Napoleon,  having  beei\  unable  to  nndfrgo  the  ordeal  of  a  first  pipe,  stigTnntlzrd  It  ns  a 
habit  ouly  litto  amuie  BluggarUs.  What  he  renounced  in  BUiokiug, however, he  cuuiiicniiaied 
IB  muff. 


232  EMINENT  SNUFF.TAKERS. 

had  smoked  as  well  as  smifFed,  he  might  have  preserved  his 
empire  from  overthrow,  seeing  that  smoking  steadies  and 
snuffing  impels.  The  influences  of  smoking  and  snuffing  on 
politics  and  war  are  ascertainable.  What  the  effect  of  chew- 
ing is  on  political  and  military  affairs,  it  is  not  so  easy  to 
discover.  We  recommend  the  subject  for  meditation  to  the 
profoundest  metaphysicians.  How  many  of  the  American 
politicians  and  generals  have  been  chewers  as  well  as  snuffers 
and  smokers  ?  Is  there  to  be  some  mysterious  affinity  between 
chewing  and  the  revolutions,  especially  the  social  revolutions 
of  the  future?  May  not  apocalyptic  interpreters  be  able  to 
show  that  chewing  is  the  symbol  of  anarchy  and  annihilation  ?" 
When  first  used  in  Europe  snuff  was  made  ready  for  use 
by  the  takers — each  person  being  provided  with  a  box  or 


SCOnm  SNTTFF-MILLS. 


"  mill,"  as  they  were  termed,  to  reduce  the  leaves  to  powder. 

In  connection  with  this,  the  following  may  not  be 
irrelevent : — 

The  following  anecdote  of  Huerta  the  celebrated  Spanish 
guitarist,  is  taken  from  one  of  M.  Ella's  programmes : — 

"  In  the  year  1826  the  famous  Huerta,  who  astonished  the 
English  by  his  performances  on  the  guitar,  was  anxious  to 
be  introduced  to  the  leader  of  the  Italian  Opera  Baud — a 
warm-hearted  and  sensitive  Neapolitan — Spagnoletti.  The 
latter  had  a  great  contempt  for  guitars,  concertinas,  and  other 
fancy  instruments  not  used  in  the  orchestra.  He  was  fond 
of  snuff,  had  a  capacious  nose,  and,  when  irritated,  would 
ejaculate  '  Mon  Dieu  P  On  my  presenting  the  vain  Spaniard 
to  Spagnoletti,  the  latter  inquired,  '  Vat  you  play  V  Huerta 
— '  De  guitar-r-r,  sare.'  Spagnoletti — '  De  guitar !  humph  !' 
(takes  a  pinch  of  snuff.)  Huerta — '  Yeas,  sare,  de  guitar-r-r, 
and  ven  I  play  my  adagio^  de  tears  shall  run  down  both  side 
your  pig  nose.'  '  Veil  den,'  (raking  snuff,)  said  Spagnoletti, 
*  I  vill  not  hear  your  adagio.''  * 


TOO  STRONG.  233 

The  anecdote  related  of  Count  de  Tessc,  a  celebrated  cour- 
tier of  France,  is  one  of  the  best  of  its  kind : — 

"  Count  de  Tesse,  Marshal  of  France,  was  an  eminent  man 
during  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV.  Though  he  was  a  brave 
soldier  and  by  no  means  an  incompetent  general,  yet  he  \vas 
more  remarkable  as  a  skillful  diplomatist  and  a  pliant  and 
prosperous  courtier.  During  the  War  of  Succession  in  Spain, 
he  besieged  Barcelona  with  a  considerable  army,  in  the  spring 
of  1705.  Terrible  was  the  assault,  and  terrible  was  the 
resistance.  At  the  end  of  six  weeks  the  arrival  of  the  British 
fleet,  and  reinforcements  thrown  into  the  place,  forced  Mar- 
shal Tesse  to  retire.  Besides  immense  losses  in  dead  and 
wounded,  he  had  to  abandon  two  hundred  and  twenty  cannon 
and  all  his  sup2)lies.  Incessantly  fighting  for  fifteen  days  in 
his  retreat  towards  the  Pyrenees,  he  lost  three  thousand  more 
of  his  men.  It  ought  to  be  said,  in  vindication  of  Tesse,  that 
he  undertook  the  siege  by  express  and  urgent  connnand  of 
the  French  King,  and  contrary  to  his  own  judgment ;  for  in 
writing  to  a  friend,  he  said:  'If  a  Consistory  were  held  to 
decide  the  infallibility  of  the  King,  as  Consistories  have  been 
held  to  decide  the  infallibility  of  the  Pope,  I  should  by  my 
vote  declare  His  Majesty  infallible.  His  orders  have  con- 
founded all  human  science.' 

"  Soon  after  the  siege  of  Barcelona,  a  lady  at  a  fashionable 
party  took  out  her  snuff-box  and  offered  a  pinch  to  any  one 
who  wished  it.  Marshal  Tesse  approached  to  take  a  pinch  ; 
but  suddenly  the  lady  drew  her  snuff-box  back,  saying,  '  For 
you.  Marshal,  the  snuff  is  too  strong — it  is  Barcelona.' " 

In  Scotland  the  dry  kinds  of  snuff  are  in  favor  and  are 
esteemed  as  highly  as  the  moister  snuffs.  Robert  Leighton 
gives  the  following  pen  picture  of  the  snuff-loving  Scotch- 
man ;  it  is  entitled  "  The  Snuffie  Auld  Man  :"— 

"  By  the  cosie  fire-side,  or  the  sun-ends  o'  gavels, 
The  snuffie  auld  bodie  is  sure  to  be  seen. 
Tap,  tappin'  his  snuff-box,  he  snifters  and  sneevila, 
And  smachers  the  snuff  frae  his  mou'  to  his  een. 
Since  tobacco  cam'  in,  and  the  snuffin'  began, 
There  hasna  been  seen  sic  a  snuffie  auld  man. 

"  His  haurins  are  dozen'd,  his  cen  sair  bedizzened 
And  red  round  the  lids  as  the  gills  o'  a  fish ; 
His  face  is  a'  bladdit,  his  sark-breest  a'  smaddit. 
As  snuffie  a  picture  as  ony  could  wisti. 


234  SAVINGS  FROM  THE  PULPIT. 

He  makes  a  mere  merter  o'  a'  thing  he  does, 
Wi'  snuff  frae  his  fingers  an'  drops  frae  his  nose. 

"  And  wow  but  his  nose  is  a  troublesome  member — 
Day  and  nicht,  there's  nae  end  to  its  snuffie  desire : 
It's  wide  as  the  chimlie,  it's  red  as  an  ember, 
And  has  to  be  fed  like  a  dry-whinnie  fire. 
It's  a  troublesome  member,  and  gi'es  him  nae  peace, 
Even  sleepin*,  or  eatin',  or  sayin'  the  grace. 

"  The  kirk  is  disturbed  wi'  his  hauckin'  and  sneezin' 
The  dominie  stoppit  when  leadin'  the  psalm ; 
The  minister,  deav'd  out  o'  logic  and  reason, 
Pours  gall  in  the  lugs  that  are  gapi'  for  balm. 
The  auld  folks  look  surly,  the  young  chaps  jocose, 
While  the  bodie  himscl'  is  bambazed  wi'  his  nose. 

"  He  scrimps  the  auld  wife  baith  in  garnal  and  caddy 
He  snuffs  what  wad  keep  her  in  comfort  and  ease; 
Rapee,  Lundyfitt,  Prince's  Mixture,  and  Toddy, 
She  looks  upon  them  as  the  worst  o'  her  faes. 
And  we'll  see  an  end  o'  her  kooshian  nar 
While  the  auld  carle's  nose  is  upheld  like  a  Czar. 

Sharp  has  written  some  verses  founded  upon  the  following 
singular  anecdote  in  Dean  Ramsay's  "Reminiscences  of 
Scottish  Life  and  Character :" 

"The  inveterate  snuff-taker,  like  the  dram-drinker,  felt 
severely  the  being  deprived  of  his  accustomed  stimulant,  as 
in  the  following  instance:  A  severe  snow-storm  in  the 
Highlands,  which  lasted  for  several  weeks,  having  stopped 
all  communication  betwixt  neighboring  hamlets,  the  snuff- 
boxes were  soon  reduced  to  their  last  pinch.  Borrowing  and 
begging  from  all  the  neighbors  within  reach  were  first  resorted 
to,  but  when  these  failed  all  were  alike  reduced  to  the  long- 
ing which  unwillingly  abstinent  snufi'-takefs  alone  know. 
The  minister  of  the  parish  was  amongst  the  unhappy  num- 
ber ;  the  craving  was  so  intense  that  study  was  out  of  the 
question,  and  he  became  quite  restless.  As  a  last  resort,  the 
beadle  was  dispatched  through  the  snow,  to  a  neighboring 
glen,  in  the  hope  of  getting  a  supply ;  but  he  came  back  as 
unsuccessful  as  he  went.  '  What's  to  be  done,  John  ?  was 
the  minister's  pathetic  inquiry.  John  shook  his  head,  as 
much  as  to  say  that  he  could  not  tell,  but  immediately  there- 
after started  up,  as  if  a  new  idea  occurred  to  him.     He  came 


THE  STORY  IN  VERSE. 


235 


back  in  a  few  minutes,  crying,  '  Ilae  ! '  The  minister,  too 
eager  to  be  scrutinizing,  took  a  long  deep  pinch,  and  then 
Baid,  '  Whour  did  you  get  it ? '  'I  soupit  (swept)  the  poupit,' 
was  John's  expressive  reply.  The  minister's  accumulated 
Buperfluous  Sabbath  snuH'  now  came  into  good  use." 


"  Near  the  Highlands, 
Where  the  dry  lands 
Are  divided  into  islands, 
And  distinguish'd  from  the  mainland 
As  the  Western  Hebrides. 

"  Stonny  weather. 
Those  who  stay  there, 
Oftentimes  for  weeks  together 
Keep  asunder  from  their  neighbors, 
Hemm'd  about  by  angry  seas. 


"  For,  storm-batter'd, 
Boats  are  shattered, 
And  their  precious  cargoes  scatter'd 
In  the  boist'rous  Sound  of  Jura, 
Or  thy  passage,  Colonsay  ; 


236  STORM-BOUND. 

"  "While  the  seamen, 
Like  true  freemen, 
Battle  bravely  with  the  Demon 
Of  the  storm,  who  strives  to  keep  tkem 
From  their  harbor  in  the  bay. 

"  For  this  reason 
One  bad  season, 
(If  to  say  so  be  not  treason,) 
In  an  island  town  the  people 
Were  reduced  to  great  distress. 

"Though  on  mainland 
They  would  fain  land, 
They  were  storm-bound  in  their  ain  land, 
Where  each  luxury  was  little. 
And  grew  beautifully  less. 

*'  But  whose  sorrow, 
That  sad  morrow. 
When  no  man  could  beg  or  borrow 
From  a  friend's  repository, 
Equall'd  theirs  who  craved  for  snu£ 

"  But,  most  sadden'd, 
Nearly  madden'd 

For  the  lack  of  that  which  gladden'd 
His  proboscis,  was  the  parson, 
Eight  the  Rev'rend  Neil  Macduff. 

•'  If  a  snuffer. 
Though  no  puffer. 

You  may  guess  what  pangs  he'd  suffer 
In  his  journey  through  a  snow-drift, 
Visiting  a  neighboring  town. 

*'  From  his  rushing 
For  some  sneishing ; 
But  his  choring  and  his  fishing 
Could  procure  no  Toddy's  Mixture, 
Moist  Rappee,  or  Kendal  Brown. 

"  In  his  trouble — 
Now  made  double, 

Since  his  last  hope  proved  a  bubble — 
To  his  aid  came  Beadle  Johnnie, 
In  his  parish  right-hand  man. 


THE  SECRET.  237 

"  With  a  packet, 
Saying,  Tak'  it, 
It's  as  clean  as  I  can  mak'  it, 
If  ye'd  save  yer  snuff  on  Sabbath 
A  toom  box  ye  needna  scan. 

"  Being  lusty 
(Though  'twas  musty) 
To  his  nose  the  snuff  so  dusty 
Put  the  minister,  too  much  in  want, 
The  gift  to  scrutinize, 

"An  idea 
He  could  see  a 
Blessing  in  this  panacea ; 
So  he  took  such  hearty  pinches  as  brought 
Tears  into  his  eyes. 

"  Then  to  Johnnie, 
His  old  cronie, 

Cried — '  I  fear'd  I'd  ne'er  get  ony.* 
'  Well,  I'll  tell  ye,'  said  the  beadle, 
*  Whaur  I  got  the  stock  of  snuflf.' 

"  '  In  the  poupit 
Low  I  stoopit,  ' 

An'  the  snuflF  and  stour  I  soupit, 
Then  I  brocht  ye  here  a  handfu', 
For  ye  need  it  sair  enough.' " 

The  old  Scottish  snuff-mill,  which  consisted  of  a  small 
box-like  receptacle  into  which  fitted  a  conical-shaped  projec- 
tion with  a  short,  strong  handle  was  a  more  substantial  affair 
than  the  rasp  used  by  the  French  and  English  snuff-takers. 
(See  page  232).  Both,  answered  the  purpose  for  which  they 
were  designed,  the  leaves  of  tobacco  being  "  toasted  before 
the  fire,"  and  then  ground  in  the  mill  as  it  was  called.  The 
more  modern  snuff-mill  is  similar  in  shape,  but  is  used  to  hold 
the  snuff  after  being  ground,  rather  than  for  reducing  the 
leaves  to  a  powder. 

Boswell  gives  the  following  poem  on  snuff,  in  his  "  Shrubs 
of  Parnassus : " 

"Oh  Snuff!  our  fashionable  end  and  aim  ! 
Straaburg,  Rappee,  Dutch,  Scotch,  what'eer  thy  name, 


238  "COME  TO  MY  NOSE." 

Powder  celestial !  quintessence  divine ! 

New  joys  entrance  my  soul  while  thou  art  mine. 

Who  takes — who  takes  thee  not !  where'er  I  range, 

I  smell  thy  sweets  from  Pall  Mall  to  the  'Change. 

By  thee  assisted,  ladies  kill  the  day, 

And  breathe  their  scandal  freely  o'er  their  tea ; 

Nor  less  they  prize  thy  virtues  when  in  bed, 

One  pinch  of  thee  revives  the  vapor'd  head. 

Removes  the  spleen,  removes  the  qualmish  fit, 

And  gives  a  brisker  turn  to  female  wit, 

Warms  in  the  nose,  refreshes  like  the  breeze, 

Glows  in  the  herd  and  tickles  in  the  sneeze. 

Without  it,  Tinsel,  what  would  be  thy  lot ! 

What,  but  to  strut  neglected  and  forgot ! 

What  boots  it  for  thee  to  have  dipt  thy  hand 

In  odors  wafted  from  Arabian  land  ? 

Ah !  what  avails  thy  scented  solitaire. 

Thy  careless  swing  and  pertly  tripping  air, 

The  crimson  wash  that  glows  upon  thy  face, 

Thy  modish  hat,  and  coat  that  flames  with  lace ! 

In  vain  thy  dress,  in  vain  thy  trimmings  shine, 

If  the  Parisian  snuff-box  be  not  thine. 

Come  to  my  nose,  then,  Snuff,  nor  come  alone. 

Bring  taste  with  thee,  for  taste  is  all  thy  own." 

There  seems  to  be  as  great  a  variety  of  design  in  snuff- 
boxes as  among  pipes  and  tobacco-stoppers.  The  Indians  of 
both  North  and  South  America  have  their  mills  for  grinding 
or  pulverizing  the  leaves.  In  the  East  a  great  variety  of 
snuff-boxes  may  be  seen ;  they  are  made  of  wood  and  ivory, 
while  many  of  them  have  a  spoon  attached  to  the  box,  which 
they  use  in  taking  the  dust  from  the  box  to  the  back  of  the 
hand,  whence  it  is  taken  by  the  forefinger  and  conveyed  to 
the  nose.  In  Europe  we  find  greater  variety  of  design  in 
snuff-boxes  than  in  the  East.  In  Europe  they  are  made  of 
the  most  costly  materials,  and  studded  with  the  rarest  gems. 

In  the  East  they  are  made  of  ivory,  wood,  bamboo,  and 
other  materials.  Of  late  years  boxes  made  of  wood  from 
Abbotsford  or  some  other  noted  place  have  been  used  for 
the  manufacture  of  snuff-boxes.  Formerly  when  snuff-taking 
was  in  more  general  use  by  kings  and  courtiers  than  now — 
a  magnificent  snuff-box  was  considered  by  royalty  as  one  of 


SNUFF  MANUFACTURE.  239 

the  most  valuable  and  pleasing  of  "  memorials."  Many  of 
these  testimonials  of  friendship  and  regard  were  of  gold  and 
silver,  and  set  with  diamonds  of  the  finest  water. 

Among  the  anecdotes  of  celebrated  snuff-takers,  the  fol- 
lowing from  White's  "  Life  of  Swedenborg,"  will  be  new  to 
many : 

"  Swedenborg  took  snuff  profusely  and  carelessly,  strewing 
it  over  his  papers  and  the  carpet.  His  manuscripts  bear  its 
traces  to  this  day.  His  carpet  set  those  sneezing  who  shook 
it.  One  Sunday  he  desired  to  have  it  taken  up  and  beaten. 
Shearsmith  objected,  'Better  wait  till  to-morrow,'  'Dat  be 
good  !  dat  be  good  !'  was  his  answer." 

We  copy  the  following  article  on  the  manufacture  of  snuff 
from  a  well-known  English  journal,  "Cope's  Tobacco 
Plant:"— 

"  Although  snuff  is  still  extensively  consumed  in  this  coun- 
tiy  (Great  Britain),  the  mode  of  its  manufacture  is  very  little 
known  to  those  who  use  it ;  and  there  are  very  few  persons 
of  even  the  most  inquisitive  turn  of  mind  who  can  say  they 
have  ever  penetrated  into  the  mysterious  precincts  of  a  snuff- 
mill.  Even  those  who  have  been  privileged,  and  have  had 
the  courage  to  inspect  the  interior  of  such  an  establishment, 
have  come  away  with  very  vague  notions  of  what  they  saw. 
The  hollow  whirr  of  the  revolving  pestles,  the  hazy  atmos- 
phere closely  resembling  a  London  fog  in  November,  a  jthe- 
nomenon  which  is  produced  by  the  innumerable  particles  of 
tobacco  floating  about,  and  causing  the  gas  to  flicker  and 
sparkle  in  a  m3'sterious  way,  and  producing  a  lively  irritation 
of  the  mucous  membrane,  all  combine  in  placing  the  visitor 
in  a  state  of  amusing  bewilderment,  and  he  is  compelled  to 
make  a  speedy  exit,  having  only  had  just  a  running  peep  at 
the  interesting  process  of  snuft'-making.  It  is  therefore  our 
duty  to  give  a  description  of  a  process  which  will  be  new  to 
a  large  number  of  people,  and  will  help  to  clear  up  some  of 
the  obscure  theories  that  a  great  many  more  entertain  of  it. 

"Those  persons  who  have  travelled  on  the  Continent,  and 
who  have  noticed  on  tobacconists'  counters  a  small  machine, 
somewhat  like  a  coffee-mill,  which  a  man  works  with  one 
hand,  while  he  holds  a  hard-pressed  plug  of  tobacco  about  a 
pound  weight  against  the  revolving  grater,  and  produces 
snuff  while  the  snuff-taker  waits  for  it,  may  in^agine  that 
snuff  in  England  is  produced  on  a  somewhat  similar  small 


240 


PREPARATION  OF  THE  TOBACCO. 


Bcale.  But  this,  like  many  kindred  theories,  is  quite  a  mis- 
take. In  this  country  there  exist  large  snutf-mills  worked  by 
Bteara  power,  and  in  Scotland  there  is  one  water-mill  which 
is  driven  by  a  water-power  of  the  strength  of  thirty  horses. 
The  grinding  of  snutf  is  at  present  carried  on  much  as  it  was 
one  hundred  years  ago.     The  apparatus,  although  effective, 


f   .    la 


SNUFF-MILL    A   CENTURY    AGO. 


is  very  primitive,  and  would  lead  one  to  suppose  that  mechan- 
ical ingenuity  had  wholly  neglected  to  trouble  itself  about 
improving  that  branch  of  machinery. 

"All  kinds  of  snuff  are  made  from  tobacco  leaves,  or 
tobacco  stalks,  either  separate  or  mixed.  This  in  the  first 
instance  goes  through  a  kind  of  fermentation,  and,  like  the 
basis  of  soup  at  the  modern  hotels,  forms,  as  it  were,  the 
stock  from  which  all  the  varieties  in  flavor  and  appearance 
are  produced  by  special  treatment  and  flavoring.  Of  course 
the  strength  and  pungency  of  the  snuff  will  depend  a  good 
deal  upon  the  richness  of  the  tobacco  originally  put  aside  for 
it.  About  one  thousand  pounds  of  tobacco  would  form  an 
ordinary  batch  of  snuff.  The  duty  on  this  would  amount  to 
about  £150,  and  this  has  to  be  paid  before  the  tobacco  is 
removed  from  the  bonded  warehouse.  Having  got  his  heap 
of  material  ready,  the  snuff-maker  moistens  it,  then  places  it 
in  a  warm  room  and  covers  it  over  with  warm  cloths — coddles 
it,  as  it  were,  to  make  it  comfortable,  so  that  the  cold  air 
cannot  get  to  it — and  the  heap  is  then  left  for  three  or  four 
weeks,  as  the  case  may  be,  to  ferment. 

"  In  France,  where,  under  the  Imperial  regime,  snuff-making 
was  a  Government  monopoly,  the  tobacco  was  allowed  to 
fermentwfor  twelve  or  eighteen  months ;  and  in  the  principal 
factory  (that  at  Strasburg)  might  have  been  seen  scores  of 


GRINDING  THE  LEAVES.  241 

huge  bins,  as  largo  as  porter  vats,  all  piled  up  with  tobacco 
in  various  stages  of  fermentation.  The  tobacco,  after  being 
fermented,  if  intended  for  that  light,  powdery,  brown-looking 
Bnuff  called  S.  P.,  is  dried  a  little ;  or  if  for  Prince's  Mixture, 
Macobau,  or  any  other  kind  of  Pappee,  is  at  once  thrown  into 
what  is  called  the  mull.  The  mull  is  a  kind  of  large  iron 
mortar  weighing  about  half  a  ton  and  lined  with  wood ;  and 
there  is  a  heavy  pestle  which  travels  round  it,  forming,  as  it 
were,  a  large  pestle  and  mortar. 

These  mulls  are  placed  in  rows  and  shut  up  in  separate 
cupboards,  to  keep  in  the  dust.  The  snuff-maker  wanders 
from  one  to  the  other,  and  feeds  them  as  they  require. 

"  "When  the  grinding  of  the  snuff  is  completed  it  is  then 
ready  for  flavouring,  and  in  this  consists  the  great  art  and 
secret  of  the  trade.  Peceipts  for  peculiar  flavors  are  handed 
down  from  father  to  son  as  most  valuable  heir-looms,  and 
these  receipts  are  in  fact  a  valuable  property  in  many  instances, 
for  so  delicate  is  the  nose  of  your  snuff-taker  that  he  can 
detect  the  slightest  variation  in  the  preparation  of  his  favor- 
ite snuff.  It  is  related  of  one  old  snuff-maker  in  London, 
who  had  acquired  a  handsome  fortune  and  retired  from  busi- 
ness, that  he  made  it  a  consideration  with  his  successors  that 
he  should  be  allowed,  so  long  as  he  lived,  to  attend  one  day 
in  the  week  at  the  business  and  flavor  all  the  snuff.  Most 
people  will  also  be  familiar  with  some  one  of  the  numerous 
versions  of  the  origin  of  the  once  famous  Lundy  Foote  Snuff, 
better  known  as  '  Irish  Blackguard.' 

"  The  excise  are  very  rigid  in  their  laws  for  regulating  the 
manufacture  of  snuff;  and  with  the  exception  of  a  little  com- 
mon salt,  which  is  added  to  make  the  tobacco  keep,  ^ud 
alkalies  for  bringing  out  the  flavor,  nothing  is  allowed  to  be 
used  but  a  few  essential  oils.  And  here  we  must  digress  for 
a  moment  to  correct  a  popular  error,  viz.,  that  snuff 
contains  ground  glass,  put  there  for  titillating  purposes. 
"What  appears  to  be  ground  glass  is  only  the  little  crystals  or 
small  particles  of  alkali  that  have  not  been  dissolved.  So 
that  fastidious  snufi-takers  may  dismiss  this  bugbear  at  once 
and  forever. 

"  The  essential  oils  referred  to  form  a  very  expensive  item 

in   the  manufacture  of  snuff.     The  ladies  would  be  much 

surprised  to  see  a  dusty  snuft-maker  drain  off  Ave  pounds' 

worth  of  pure  unadulterated  otto-of -roses  into  a  tin  can,  and 

16 


242 


FLAVORING  THE  SNUFF. 


PERFUMING  SNUFF. 


as  they  (the  ladies)  would  suppose,  throw  it  away  on  a  heap 
of  what  would  appear  to  them  rubbishy  dust  in  one  corner 

of  the  snuff-room.  Of 
course  the  ladies  would 
consider  the  proper  place 
for  it  to  be  on  the  cambric 
handkerchief,  but  this  idea 
would  be  about  the  last 
to  occur  to  your  matter- 
of-fact  snuff-maker. 

"  In  addition  to  otto-of- 
roses,  the  scent-room  con- 
tains great  jars  of  essence 
of  lemon,  French  gera- 
nium, verbena,  oil  of  pi- 
mento, bergamotte,  etc., 
all  of  which  are  used  in 
the  various  flavoring  com- 
binations. There  would 
most  likely  also  be  a  few 
hundred-weight  of  fine 
Tonquin  beans,  and  one  of  these  beans  is  generally  presented 
to  any  visitor  who  drops  in,  as  souvenir  to  carry  away  in 
his  waistcoat  pocket.  Snuff  is  very  extensively  used  in  the 
mills  and  factories  of  Lancashire.  Those  who  toil  long  in 
heated  and  noisy  mills  seem  to  require,  and  doubtless  do 
require,  tobacco  in  some  shape  or  other  to  keep  them  from 
jflagging ;  and  as  chewing  is  not  polite,  and  smoking  in  a 
mill  not  allowed,  the  only  resource  left  to  the  operative  is 
his  snuff.  A  singular  feature  connected  with  this  is,  we 
believe,  the  fact  that  spinners  in  very  few  instances  use  snuff- 
boxes, they  prefer  having  their  supply  of  snuff  screwed  up 
in  a  piece  of  paper.  One  retail  shop-keeper  in  a  busy  spin- 
ning town  in  Lancashire  assured  us  that  he  retailed  over  four 
hundred  weight  of  snuff  a  week  in  pennyworths, 

"  It  is  impossible  to  state  the  exact  quantity  of  snuff  used  in 
this  country ;  but,  as  far  as  we  can  arrive  at  it  from  statistics 
at  hand,  we  should  say  it  cannot  be  less  than  five  hundred  tons 
per  annum.  This  seems  an  enormous  quantity,  considering 
the  comparatively  small  number  of  persons  who  now  use 
snuff;  but  the  great  bulk  of  snuff  seems  to  be  consumed  by 
particular  communities,  such  as  the  Lancashire  operatives,  and 
the  consumption  of  it  is  therefore  not  generally  observable  ; 
and  further  it  should  be  remembered  that  those  who  do  take 
snuff,  individually  use  large  quantities." 


PROFITS  MADE.  243 

Snuff-manufacturing  has  in  some  cases  been  attended  with 
considerable  affluence.  One  instance  is  the  London  man- 
ufacturer already  mentioned,  whose  profits  accumulated  to 
the  extent  of  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  million  ;  another  is  the 
Lundy  Foote  business,  and  the  third  a  Scotch  manufacturer 
(Gillespie),  who  by  the  way,  practised  a  bit  of  benevolence, 
in  the  shape  of  building  an  hospital,  in  return  for  the  good 
things  fortune  had  sent  him.  Of  course  an  hospital,  like 
many  other  things,  may  have  a  doubtful  origin,  as  witness 
the  famous  Guy's,  which  stands  as  a  lasting  monument  to  the 
wonderful  profits  that  used  to  be  made  out  of  the  iniquitous 
advance  note  system.  But  we  do  not  by  any  means  wish  to 
make  comparisons  which  must  be  odious  and  although  the 
profits  of  snuff-manufacturing  are  for  a  variety  of  reasons 
— amongst  others  the  decreased  consumption  of  the  manu- 
factured article — not  nearly  as  large  as  they  were  fifty  years 
ago ;  yet  we  are  sure  that  the  fortunes  accumulated  by  some 
of  the  old  snuff-makers  were  the  result  of  honest,  upright 
industry. 

Of  European  tobacco  used  in  the  manufacture  of  snuff 
that  of  Holland  and  France  (St.  Omer)  is  considered  to  be 
equal  to  any  grown  in  Europe.  Of  the  varieties  grown 
in  America,  Virginia  leaf  is  used  quite  extensively  for  some 
grades  of  snuff  and  "good  stout  rich  snuff  leaf^'  commands 
excellent  prices  and  meets  with  a  ready  sale. 

A  writer  gives  the  following  account  of  the  love  the  Terra 
Del  Fuegians  have  for  tobacco. 

"  This  morning  we  were  up  early,  a  large  party  going 
ashore  for  various  scientific  purposes,  and  the  others  taking 
the  ship  out  in  the  channel  to  do  a  little  dredging ;  both 
parties  were  very  successful,  and  added  much  to  our  collec- 
tion. As  we  on  the  shore  w^ere  about  ready  to  come  off,  we 
were  visited  by  a  party  of  Fuegians,  five  men,  four  women, 
and  nine  children,  with  three  dogs.  They  came  in  an  English- 
built  boat,  stolen  or  lost  from  some  English  ship.  The  men 
and  dogs  landed  and  came  towards  us  with  a  great  frankness 
of  manner.  They  could  talk  neither  English  nor  Spanish, 
except  the  few  words,  boat,  fire,  tobac,  galleto,  arco.  But 
they  understood  the  imperial  manner  of  one  of  our  officers, 


244 


LOVE  OF  TOBACCO. 


who  said  quietly  but  firmly,  'keep  back  those  dogs,'  and 
immediately  drove  back  the  barking  curs  with  sticks  and 
stones.  They  warmed  themselves  at  our  fire,  and  seemed 
disposed  to  be  very  civil  and  friendly.  We  gave  them  our 
remaining  biscuit,  and  what  little  tobacco  there  was  in  our 
party  to  spare.  One  of  them  accepted  a  pinch  of  snuif  and 
pretended  to  sneeze,  crying  '  Hatchee ! '  with  mock  solemnity. 
An  old  man  sat  down  on  a  stone  and  sang  to  us  a  low. 


FUEGIAN    SNUFF-TAKERS. 


sweet  recitation,  or  chant,  in  wild  key,  or  mode,  ending  on  a 
rising  melody  with  each  stanza. 

They  followed  us  to  tlie  ship,  and  we  gave  them  some 
calico  and  beads,  and  tobacco,  and  also  bought  bows  and 
arrows,  and  a  sea-urchin,  paying  them  in  tobacco.  They 
clung  to  the  ship  as  we  got  under  way,  men  and  women, 
crying,  '  Tobacco  !'  and  frantic  to  catch  any  fragment  of  the 
precious  weed  thrown  to  them.  But  at  length  they  let  go, 
and  we  left  the  bay  with  the  cry  of  tobacco  ringing  in  our 
ears." 

Having  spoken  of  most  of  the  modes  of  using  snuff  in 
both  the  Old  and  New  World,  we  come  now  to  a  description 
of  using  snuff  at  the  South,  known  as  "  dipping,"  and  by 
some  as  "  rubbing,"  both  terms  used  to  denote  the  same  man- 
ner of  use.  The  description  of  it  as  given  by  A.  L.  Adams 
is  as  follows  : — 

"  In  the  South,  and  more  especially  in  Virginia,  where 
tobacco  has  been  cultivated  for  more  than  two  hundred  and 


CHEWING  AND  DIPPING.  245 

fifty  years,  and  where  a  few  pounds  of  it  was  the  legitimate 
price  for  a  wife,  it  is  not  surprising  that  it  should  be  more 
highly  prized  and  come  into  more  general  use  than  in  any 
other  section  of  our  country.  On  the  banks  of  the  James 
River  it  was  first  successfully  cultivated  by  the  English  col- 
ony, and  this  simple  fact  alone  must  forever  throw  a  charm 
around  it,  which  will  foster  the  pride  of  the  Virginian  who 
has  any  respect  for  his  ancestry,  and  hold  him  under  sacred 
obligations  to  use,  cherish,  and  defend  the  plant  and  its  use — 
all  of  which  he  regards  as  no  less  a  pleasure  than  a  duty. 
Here  too  its  many  virtues  were  first  discorered,  and  its  sooth- 
ing efiects  first  felt  and  appreciated. 

"  To  the  old  Virginian  it  is  indeed  a  cherished  weed,  charm- 
ing all  manner  of  diseases,  comforting  in  sorrow,  soothing 
the  ills  of  life,  and  preserving  to  a  good  old  age  and  in  a 
happy  frame  of  mind  all  who  use  it.  He  believes  in  its 
superior  virtues,  and  ascribes  to  it  more  good  qualities  than 
to  any  other  known  plant.  He  always  carries  it  about  with 
him,  and  if  perchance  he  gets  out  he  is  truly  miserable.  He 
not  only  loves  but  worships  it  as  a  cure  all.  His  wife  and 
daughters  know  its  virtues  full  well,  and  use  it  with  equal 
grace  and  relish,  believing  it  gives  a  lustre  to  the  eye  and  a 
freshness  to  the  cheek  rarely  surpassed.  Among  the  variety 
of  ways  in  which  it  is  used  none  attracted  my  attention  so 
much  as  the  novel  manner  of  snufi'-taking  in  various  jDarts  of 
Virginia,  West  Virginia,  the  Carolinas  and  Georgia. 

"  In  some  localities  the  practice  is  unknown,  while  in  many 
others  it  is  very  common.  I  first  discovered  young  ladies 
putting  snufi"  into  their  mouths  as  if  eating  it,  when  my 
curiosity  was  excited  to  an  alarming  extent,  but  on  being 
invited  to  '  dip '  with  them  I  soon  learned  that  they  were  not 
eating,  but  '  rubbing  and  chewing'  it,  as  they  called  it,  and 
in  such  a  lively  manner  as  to  soon  convince  me  that  they 
appreciated  it.  I  found  the  habit  to  be  quite  common  even 
among  the  young  of  both  sexes — all  indulging  in  it  as  if  it 
afforded  real  satisfaction  to  the  appetite  for  tobacco  in  some 
form. 

"  The  young  ladies  however  seemed  the  more  attached  to 
the  '  rubbing  process,'  as  it  has  been  appropriately  styled,  and 
defended  it  with  equal  lo'j^'m  and  grace  whenever  it  was 
assailed.  The  young  gentlemen  when  in  the  society  of  the 
young  ladies  generally  join  them  in  this  unique  use  of  snuff*, 
as  they  are  always  sure  to  be  invited  and  urged  if  they 
decline,  and  to  merit  their  favor  of  course  they  must  appear 


246  UNIVERSAL  USE. 

Bocial.  I  believe,  in  credit  to  their  taste,  however,  that  they 
really  prefer  a  good  cigar,  and  think  it  more  in  keeping  with 
their  ideas  of  manhood  and  neatness.  I  have  seen  young 
girls  of  ten  *  rubbing  and  chewing,'  as  if  they  appreciated  it 
as  much  as  mother  Eve  did  the  apple  in  the  garden  of 
paradise. 

"  I  have  also  seen  old  ladies  with  trembling  limbs  and  few 
teeth  '  rubbing  and  chewing,'  as  if  it  made  them  feel  young 
ao-ain.  I  have  frequently  been  ushered  unexpectedly  into 
the  presence  of  young  ladies,  and  found  them  puffing  their 
cigarettes  in  a  manner  that  convinced  me  that  they  knew  how 
to  smoke.  There  is  nothing  that  will  more  surely  and 
quickly  bring  a  stranger  into  the  fellowship  and  good  graces 
of  the  ladies  than  to  join  them  in  their  pet  habit  of  snuff- 
rubbing.  It  seems  to  form  a  bond  of  friendship  which  they 
regard  as  sacred  as  the  vows  of  wedlock. 

"  The  older  matrons  '  rub '  less  and  smoke  more,  which  is 
in  accordance  with  nature  and  philosophy  :  The  older  we 
grow  the  more  we  smoke.  They  find  solid  pleasure  in  sitting 
by  the  open  grate  after  tea  with  fifteen  inches  of  pipe's  tail 
between  their  teeth,  and  slowly  but  gracefully  puffing  the 
perfumes  of  the  exhilarating  weed  into  the  room,  and  watch- 
ing with  childish  pleasure  the  hazy  curling  wreaths  of  smoke 
as  they  gently  float  around,  changing  in  form  and  color  until 
they  finally  disappear  up  the  chimney,  affording  rich  themes 
for  meditation  and  profitable  study,  and  perhaps  suggestive 
of  earlier  days  when  grandmother,  an  innocent,  blooming 
maid,  was  exchanged  for  the  weed,  the  seed  of  which  pro- 
duced the  plant  she  is  now  burning.  Everywhere  I  marked 
only  pleasant  and  soothing  effects  from  the  use  of  tobacco. 

"  The  planter  is  never  more  indifferent  to  the  ills  of  life 
and  in  sympathy  with  good  feeling  and  pleasure,  than  when 
he  sits  down  after  dinner  in  his  vine-thatched  portico  and 
lights  his  pipe,  passing  to  his  guests  pipes,  cigars,  and  tobacco 
in  various  forms,  leaving  them  to  choose  their  favorite  mode 
of  using  it.  Sambo  is  never  more  contented  than  when  he 
bums  the  weed  in  a  cob  pipe,  and  draws  the  delicious  smoke 
through  an  elder  sprig  or  muUen  stem.  But  the  maid  is 
happiest  of  all  when  with  her  lover  she  sits  face  to  face,  and 
they  '  dip '  together  from  the  same  magic  plant — tobacco. 

"  In  every  walk  of  life  throughout  the  sunny  South  tobacco 
in  some  form  may  be  found,  and  its  effects  are  always  the 
Bame,  whether  drawn  from  the  pocket  of  the  beggar  or  taken 
with  gloved  fingers  from  the  golden   tobacco-box  of   the 


ADVANTAGES  OF  DIPPING. 


247 


planter.  For  snuflf  the  ladies  have  very  nice  round  boxes 
■with  lids  which,  they  always  carry  with  them  full  of  black 
snuif  highly  but  pleasantly  flavored.  They  also  carry  little 
brushes  or  sticks  about  three  inches  long  with  pliable  ends ; 
these  they  wet  in  the  mouth,  then  dip  into  the  snuif-box,  and 
then  place  it  in  the  mouth  outside  of  the  gums  and  rub  earn- 
estly for  two  or  three  minutes.     '  Will  you  dip  with  me  V 


-tvO> 

SNUFF-DIPPING. 


is  the  usual  way  of  putting  the  invitation,  when  the  box  is 
drawn  from  the  pocket  and  rapped  slightly  on  the  cover, 
sometimes  by  all  present,  who  thus  signify  their  readiness  to 
'  dip,'  then  it  is  repassed  open  to  all,  and  the  '  dipping  and 
rubbing '  begins  in  earnest. 

"  The  only  advantage  I  ever  discovered  in  this  unnatural 
way  of  snuffing  is  in  avoiding  all  unpleasant  sneezing  which 
enuffing  is  sure  to  produce,  although  it  is  claimed  that  it 
whitens  and  preserves  the  teeth  and  sweetens  the  mouth,  and 
produces  a  beneficial  effect  on  the  lungs,  all  of  which  is  true 
or  not,  just  as  you  choose  to  believe.  'Will  you  dip  and 
rub  with  me?'  said  one  of  the  prettiest  belles  of  Winchester, 
and  in  another  city  in  another  state  the  daughter  of  an 
ex-governor,  handing  me  a  silver-tipped  brush  and  openmg 
ft  rose-wood  snuff-box  richly  inlaid  with  gold,  politely  asked 
me  to  *  dip '  with  her,  expressing  the  belief  that  friendship 
would  always  follow.     I  have  frequently  been  asked  by  ladies 


24:8 


SNUFF-TAKERS. 


when  travelling  through  the  country  and  stopping  at  farm- 
houses, if  I  used  tobacco — as  a  hint  to  offer  them  some,  and 
it  was  a  pleasure  to  comply,  and  receive  the  thankful  smile 
of  an  appreciative  heart." 

In  other  parts  of  the  country  the  habit  of  snuff-taking  is 
confined  principally  to  old  ladies,  who  use  any  kind,  either 
black  or  yellow,  and  who  prefer  themselves  the  cheaper  kinds. 


SNUFFERS. 


But  few  varieties  are  used,  and  there  seems  to  be  but  little 
taste  manifested  in  the  selection  of  the  "  dust."  Foreign 
varieties  are  used  only  to  a  limited  extent,  being  chiefly  con- 
fined to  those  of  transatlantic  birth  and  tastes'.  The  custom 
of  chewing  and  smoking  seems  to  be  more  popular  with 
the  male  sex  than  snuff-taking,  and  one  rarely  finds  a  man 
addicted  to  the  latter  habit,  unless  it  be  one  somewhat 
advanced  in  years. 

Stewart  in  his  admirable  paper  on  snuff  gives  much 
useful  information  in  regard  to  the  universal  custom  of 
using  it  as  well  as  its  origin  and  distinguished  uses  of  the 
great  sternutatory. 


THE  FIRST  SNUFFERS.  249 

"  The  luckless  fate  of  inventors  and  originators  has  become 
proverbial,  but  the  ingenious  individual  whose  nostrils 
rejoiced  in  the  first  pinch  of  snulf  stood  in  no  need  of  the 
niggardly  praise  of  contemporaries  or  the  lavisli  gratitude 
of  posterity.  That  first  '  pinch'  was  its  own  priceless  reward, 
far  above  present  appreciation  or  future  fame.  What  mat- 
ters it,  that  his  great  name  has  not  been  reverently  handed 
down  to  us :  that  posterity  seeks  in  vain  his  honored  tomb,  on 
which  to  hang  her  grateful  votive  wreath ;  that  zealous  anti- 
quaries have  raised  up  innumerable  pretenders  to  his  unclaimed 
honors,  and  striven  to  rob  him  of  his  fame  ?  Enough  for 
that  lucky  inventor,  wherever  he  may  rest,  that  he  enjoyed 
in  his  lifetime  the  reward  for  which  ordinary  benefactors  of 
their  kind  are  fain  to  look  to  the  future. 

"  It  is  perfectly  vain  to  attempt  now  to  penetrate  into  the 
mystery  which  envelopes  the  name  and  nation  of  the  first 
snuff-taker:  long  befca*e  rough,  noble-hearted  Drake  cured 
his  dyspepsia  by  the  use  of  tobacco,  or  Kaleigh  transplanted 
some  roots  of  that  precious  weed  into  English  soil,  there 
were  European  noses  which  had  rejoiced  at  its  pulverized 
leaves.  Conjecture,  lost  in  the  mazy  distance,  gladly  lays 
hold  of  something  substantial  in  the  shape  of  snuff's  first 
royal  patron.  This  was  Catherine  de  Medicis,  who,  receiv- 
ing some  seeds  of  the  tobacco  plant  from  a  Dutch  colony, 
cherished  them,  and  elevated  the  dried  and  pounded  leaves 
into  a  royal  medicine,  with  the  proud  title  of  '  Herbe  a  la 
Heine.'  For  in  the  beginning  men  took  snuff,  not  as  an 
everyday  luxury,  but  as  a  medicament.  Like  tea — which  a 
hundred  years  later  was  advertised  as  a  cure  for  every  ill — 
the  new  sneezing  powder  was  hailed  a  universal  specific; 
and  so  pleasant  in  its  operation,  that  mankind,  acting  upon 
the  wholesome  aphorism  that  prevention  is  much  better  than 
cure,  and  eagerly  anticipated  the  disease  it  was  supposed  to 
remedy." 

"  The  use  of  '  the  pungent  grains  of  titillating  dust ' 
received  a  somewhat  heavy  and  discouraging  blow  from  an 
unexpected  quarter.  That  ubiquitous  power  which  hurled 
anathemas  alike  at  the  heresies  of  Luther  and  the  length  of 
clerical  wigs,  discountenanced  its  use,  and  at  length  fairly 
lost  its  temper  in  the  contest  %vitli  snuff.  AVhctlier  from 
a  prescience  of  the  beneficial  influence  it  was  destined  to 
exert  upon  mankind,  or  from  a  suspicion  of  its  power  of 
sharpening  intellects,  it  is  difficult  to  say ;  but  Popes  Urban 
VIII.,  and  Innocent  waged  quite  a  miniature  crusade  against 


250  PERSECUTION.       . 

sniiff,  anathematizing  those  who  should  use  it  in  any 
church,  and  positively  threatening  with  excommunication  all 
impious  persons  who  should  provoke  a  profane  sneeze  within 
the  sacred  precincts  of  St.  Peter's  pile;  Louis  XIV.,  that 
good  son  of  the  Church,  filially  complied  with  the  paternal 
injunction,  but  his  courtiers  were  less  yielding ;  and  the 
aiite-chamber  of  Versailles  frequently  resounded  with  the 
effects  of  the  pleasant  stinmlant. 

"  All  persecution  has  a  distinct  tendency  to  establish  the 
object  of  its  hate,  and  so  it  was  with  the  subject  of  our  arti- 
cle— it  only  required  to  be  loved ;  and  I  do  not  doubt  that, 
had  circumstances  required  them,  snuff  would  have  found 
its  martyrs.  Its  use  was  not  general  in  England  until  Charles 
II.  introduced  it,  upon  his  return  from  exile,  with  other 
important  fashions.  It  had  been  known  and  used  before,  as 
had  the  periwig,  but  it  was  not  until  his  reign  that  it  became 
common.  When  the  Stuarts  relieved  the  country  of  their 
presence  for  the  second  and  last  time,  it  had  become  firmly 
established ;  and,  by  the  days  of  good  Queen  Anne,  was  such 
a  necessary  of  life,  that  there  were  in  the  metropolis  alone 
no  less  than  seven  thousand  shops  where  the  snuff-boxes  of 
the  Londoners  could  be  replenished. 

''At  that  time,  indeed,  gallants  were  as  proud  of  their 
jewelled  boxes  of  amber,  porcelain,  ebony  and  agate  as  they 
were  of  their  flowing  wigs  and  clouded  canes,  the  handles  of 
which  were  not  unf  requently  constructed  to  hold  the  cherished 
dust.  We  are  told  by  courtly  Dick  Steel,  that  a  handsome 
snuff-box  was  as  much  an  essential  of  '  the  fine  gentleman ' 
as  his  gilt  chariot,  diamond  ring,  and  brocade  sword-knot. 
We  know  them  to  have  been  manufactured  of  the  costliest 
material,  heavy  with  gold  and  brilliant  with  jewels,  as  they 
needed  to  be  when  their  masters  carried  wigs  '  high  on  the 
shoulder  in  a  basket  borne,'  worth  forty  or  fifty  guineas,  and 
wore  enough  Flanders  lace  upon  their  persons  to  have  stocked 
a  milliner's  stall  in  New  England. 

"  Unfortunately,  but  very  naturally,  this  extravagance 
rendered  snuff  a  butt  for  the  wits  (who  all  took  it,  by  the 
way),  to  shoot  at.  Steele,  whose  weakness  for  dress  and 
show  were  proverbial,  levelled  many  of  his  blunt  shafts  at  its 
use ;  and  Pope,  who  himself  tells  us  '  of  his  wig  all  pow- 
der and  all  snuff  his  band,'  let  fly  one  of  his  keener  arrows 
at  the  beaux,  whose  wit  lay  in  their  snuff-boxes  and  tweezer 
cases.  As  the  men  laid  by,  in  the  Georgian  era,  much  of  the 
magnificence   of    their  attire,  so  their  snuff-boxes   became 


WORKS  OP  ART. 


251 


FANCY    SNUFF-BOXES. 


plainer  and  decidedly  uglier.  Hushing  into  an  opposite 
extreme,  the  most  outrageous  receptacles  for  the  precious 
dust  were  devised.  Boxes  in  the 
shape  of  bibles,  boots,  shoes,  toads, 
and  coffins  outraged  public  taste. 
The  strangest  materials  were  used 
in  their  construction  ;  the  public 
taste  leaning  towards  relics  possess- 
ing historical  interest.  Thus  the 
mulberry  tree  planted  by  Shake- 
speare, the  hull  of  the  Royal 
George,  in  which  '  brave  Kempen- 
felt  went  down,  with  twice  four 
hundred  men,'  and  the  deck  of  the 
Victory,  on  which  Nelson  died  '  for 
England,  home,  and  beauty,'  have 
alone  been  supposed  to  supply 
material  for  snuff-boxes  to  an  ex- 
tent which,  if  known,  must  con- 
siderably weaken  the  faith  of  their 
possessors  in  their  genuineness. 

"  Nor  has  snuff  itself  been  less 
liable  to  the  rule  of  fashion  than  the  boxes  that  held  it.  We 
will  give  a  few  familiar  instances.  In  the  naval  engagement 
of  Viga,  in  1703,  when  a  large  Spanish  fleet  was  taken  or 
destroyed,  a  great  quantity  of  musty  snuff  was  made  prize 
of,  and  patriotism  ran  high  enough  to  cause  the  '  town'  for 
some  length  of  time  to  resist  all  that  was  not  manufactured 
to  imitate  the  flavor  from  which  it  took  its  well-known  name 
of  '  musty.'  Nearer  to  our  own  time,  a  large  tobacco  ware- 
house having  been  destroyed  by  fire,  in  Dublin,  a  poor  man 
purchased  some  of  the  scorched  or  damaged  stock,  and  man- 
ufacturing it  into  coarse  snuff,  sold  it  to  the  poorer  class  of 
snuff-takers.  Forthwith  capricious  fashion  adopted  it,  endow- 
ing it  with  fabulous  qualities,  and  Lundy  Foot's  Irish  Black- 
guard (so  it  was  termed)  filled  the  most  fashionable  boxes. 

"Again,  during  the  Peninsular  campaigns,  in  which  the 
light  division  of  the  British  army  bore  so  memorable  a  part, 
the  mixture  used  by  and  called  after  its  gallant  leader,  Gen- 
eral Sir.  Amos  Norcott,  had  a  more  extensive  sale  than  any 
other.  When  Napoleon  was  at  Elba,  and  folks  began  to  tire 
of  legitimacy,  as  they  soon  did,  it  became  fashionable  to  use 
Bnuff  scented  with  the  spirit  of  violet,  and  significantly  to 
allude  to  the  perfume.     Garrick,  when  he  was  manager  of 


252  FAMOUS  SNUFF-TAKERS. 

Drury  Lane  Theatre,  brought  a  mixture  into  fashion  by  using 
or  alluding  to  it  in  one  of  his  most  famous  parts.  The  tobac- 
conist whom  he  thus  favored  was  his  under-treasurer,  Hard- 
ham,  whom  no  writer  about  snuff  should  omit  to  notice.  He 
was  a  great  favorite  with  Garrick,  whom  in  his  turn  he  almost 
revered.  One  of  Hardham's  most  important  duties  was  to 
number  the  house  from  a  hole  in  the  curtain  above  the  stage ; 
and  it  is  amusing  to  fancy  the  little  tobacconist,  snuff-box  in 
hand,  calmly  watching  the  pit  fill,  or  from  his  elevated  posi- 
tion admiring  the  histrionic  talents  of  his  gifted  patron.  His 
shop  in  Fleet  street  is  also  memorable.  It  was  the  general 
resort  of  theatrical  men  and  tyros,  who  sought  to  reach  the 
manager  through  his  subordinates,  and  his  little  back  parlor 
witnessed  the  debut  of  many  who  afterwards  gained  aj)plause 
from  larger,  though  not  more  exacting  audiences. 

"  Her  Majesty  Queen  Charlotte  has  bequeathed  her  name 
to  a  once  favorite  mixture,  and  George  the  Fourth  has  some 
slight  chance  of  being  remembered  by  the  famous  '  Prince's 
Mixture,'  which  was  so  popular  when  it  was  the  fashion  to 
admire  and  imitate  that  gifted  individual.  It  would  be  a 
grateful  but  almost  an  impossible  task  to  enumerate  the 
kings,  soldiers,  lawyers,  poets  and  actors  who  had  sought 
from  and  found  in  the  snuff-box  comfort  and  inspiration. 
Prominent  among  the  rulers  of  the  earth  who  have  acknowl- 
edged the  pleasing  influence  of  snuff  is  Frederick  the  Great. 
His  snuff-box  was  the  pocket  of  the  long  waistcoats  of  that 
period,  in  which  he  kept  large  quantities  loose — a  dirty  habit, 
which  Napoleon,  who  was  a  great  plagiarist,  adopted.  It 
would  be  easy  to  draw  out  a  famous  list  of  literary  names 
attached  to  snuff,  beginning  with  Dryden,  who  was  particular 
enough  to  manufacture  his  own  mixture,  and  selfish  enough 
to  preserve  the  secret  of  its  excellence,  with  a  view,  prob- 
ably, of  enhancing  the  value  of  the  pinch  from  his  box,  for 
which  the  beaux  and  wits  at  Will's  intrigued. 

"  In  the  pulpit,  at  the  bar,  and  on  the  stage,' snuff  has  been 
equally  valuable  in  adding  to  the  persuasive  eloquence  and 
talent  of  its  patrons.  By  the  female  portion  of  human-kind 
it  was  at  one  time  pretty  generally  taken,  nor  was  it  uncom- 
mon for  young  and  even  pretty  women  to  offer  and  accept  a 
pinch  in  public.  After  the  gentle  sex  had  to  a  great  extent 
given  up  the  habit,  some  strong  minded  females  were  to  be 
found  who  retained  it.  Mrs.  Siddons,  when  she  came  off  the 
stage  after  dying  hard,  as  Desdemona,  or  harrowing  the  hearts 
of  her  audience  by  her  representation  of  Jane  Shore,  could 


SNUFF  AS  A  PACIFICATOR.  253 

composedly  ask  those  around  for  a  pinch  of  the  precious 
restorative.  When  we  consider  the  beneficial  influence 
which  snuii  has  exerted  over  mankind  generally,  we  cannot 
help  regretting  that  its  virtues  were  not  sooner  known. 

"  For  we  put  forth  the  proposition  seriously,  that  its 
effect  upon  the  world  has  been  to  render  it  more  humane  and 
even-tempered,  and  that  had  the  western  hemisphere  dis- 
covered the  tobacco  plant  earlier,  historians  would  have  had 
more  pleasant  events  to  chronicle.  For  instance,  it  is  not 
ilnpos^iI)le — nay,  most  probable — that  the  fate  of  Rome,  dis- 
cussed by  the  Triumvirate  over  their  snuif-boxes,  would  have 
been  diti'erent.  Is  it  likely  that,  under  the  humanizing  influ- 
ence of  mutual  pinches,  Antony  would  have  asked  for,  or 
Augustus  resigned,  the  head  of  Cicero  to  his  bloodthirsty 
colleague  ;  or  that  the  other  details  of  the  conscription  which 
deluged  the  streets  of  Rome  with  the  blood  of  her  best 
citizens,  would  have  been  agreed  to?  Again,  can  any  one 
imagine  Charles  the  Ninth  and  his  evil  counsellors  plotting 
the  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew  over  pinches  of  the  soothing 
dust?  Is  it  probable  that  the  High  Court  of  Justiciary 
would  have  entitled  its  royal  martyr  to  a  special  service  in 
the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  if  its  deliberation  had  been 
inspired  by  the  kindly  snuff  which  since  that  time  has  so 
often  softened  the  rigor  of  the  law  ?  My  hypothesis  may  seem 
an  absurd  one,  but  history  supports  it. 

"When  Charles  the  Second  introduced  snuff  into  general 
use,  men's  hands  had  scarcely  adapted  themselves  to  more 
peaceable  occupations  than  cutting  their  neighbors'  throats, 
and  the  ashes  of  a  long  and  bitter  civil  war  needed  little  fan- 
ning to  break  into  a  blaze  again  ;  and  yet,  for  forty  years  of 
misgovernment  the  nation  kept  its  temper.  How  can  tliis 
forbearance  be  accounted  for  ?  Was  it  that  circumstances  no 
longer  called  for  as  stern  and  as  effectual  remedies  as  before  ? 
No.  Was  the  second  Charles  one  whit  more  desirable  than 
the  first  of  that  ilk  ?  Was  Clarendon  more  liked  than  Staf- 
ford ?  was  Russell's  head  of  less  consequence  than  Piwnne's 
ears  ?  No.  Again,  wrongs  as  grievous  as  those  which  Hamp- 
den had  died  in  resisting  were  to  be  avenged,  but  in  a  milder, 
better  fashion  ;  for  mankind  had  in  the  meantime  learned  to 
take  snuff.  Much  of  the  haste  and  irritation  which  had  pre- 
viously led  to  blows  discharged  itself  in  a  good-natured 
Biieeze.  Snuff  made  men  forbearing,  even  jocular  over  their 
wrongs.  Who  can  doubt  that  the  revolution  wliieh  ended  in 
placing  William  of  Orange  on  his  father-in-law's  throne  owed 


254:  A  PREVENTIVE  OF  ANGER. 

its  bloodless  character  not  a  little  to  the  influence  of  snuff. 
We  read  of  difficulties  in  its  course,  which,  fifty  years  previ- 
ously, would  inevitably  have  led  to  bloodshed,  being  easily, 
almost  humorously  surmounted.  The  plagued  nation  effected 
a  revolution  over  its  snuff-boxes  in  the  happiest  conceivable 
manner. 

"  Having  ventured  so  far  I  am  inclined  to  put  forward  a 
yet  higher  claim  which  snuff  has  upon  our  gratitude,  and  to 
hint  that  the  great  deeds  of  great  men  who  were  snuff-takera 
may  be  traced  by  a  chain  of  reasoning — slight,  yet  conclusive 
■ — to  this  dearly  prized  luxury.  The  hackneyed  saying  that 
time  is  money,  or  money's  worth,  has  more  truth  in  it  than 
most  of  the  fallacies  which  are  supposed  to  regulate  our  con- 
duct. The  most  important  events  of  our  lives  often  hinge  on 
moments.  A  moment  to  stifle  passion,  to  summon  reflection, 
to  plunge  into  the  past  and  bring  up  a  buried  memory,  to 
consider  results,  is  often  of  the  utmost  consequence,  and  this 
valued  moment  the  pinch  of  snuft'  insures,  when,  without  it, 
delay  would  be  simply  embarrassment.  The  pinch  of  snuff, 
taken  at  the  right  instant,  secures  an  important  reprieve, 
during  which  the  unpleasant  question  may  be  evaded,  the 
hasty  reply  reconsidered,  or  an  angry  repartee  thought  better 
of,  while  the  same  time  gained  serves  to  improve  the  diplo- 
matist's equivoque,  to  point  the  orator's  satire,  and  polish  the 
wit's  mot.  In  a  word,  its  use  on  important  occasions  affords, 
to  every  one  who  needs  them,  better  means  of  acting  upon 
Talleyrand's  mischievous  yet  clever  aphorism — that  language 
is  useful  rather  to  conceal  than  to  express  our  thoughts. 
Moreover,  the  action  necessary  in  conveying  the  tempting 
graces  to  their  destination  has  not  unfrequently  been  found 
useful.  It  employs  the  hasty  hand  that  may  itch  to  take 
illegal  vengeance  for  fancied  insults ;  it  serves  to  hide  the 
angry  twitching  mouth  and  passionately  expanding  nostrils, 
to  give  a  natural  expression  to  changes  of  the  countenance 
which  would  otherwise  indicate  emotion,  and  to  parry  atten- 
tion till  reason  has  been  summoned  to  supplant  passion. 

"  It  is  denied  (in  a  rather  irritating  way  sometimes)  that 
the  subject  of  our  article  has  any  beneficial  influence  upon 
the  intellects  of  its  patrons.  We  are  not  about  to  claim  for 
it  any  such  exalted  qualities,  but  we  may  be  allowed  to  men- 
tion a  fact  or  so  which  entitles  it  to  some  respect  medicinally. 
As  we  have  before  stated,  in  its  early  days  it  was  considered 
to  possess  powerful  healing  qualities,  and  even  now  is  found 
of  use  in  cases  of  headache  and  weak  sight.    It  was  also 


A  NATIONAL  STIMULANT. 


255 


supposed  valu<able  in  cases  of  heaviness  and  obtuseness  of 
intellect.  Is  it,  therefore  unreasonable  to.  presume  that  it 
may  have  had  some  share  in  gaining  for  our  brethren  beyond 
the  Tweed  that  shrewdness  of  national  character  which  baa 
become  proverbial  ? 

"  The  specimens  which  came  in  the  reign  of  James  I., 


HSADACHE. 


southward,  did  not  command  much  respect  or  asdmiration 
from  our  countrymen ;  indeed  they  were  the  bulls  at  which 
every  satirist  hurled  his  shafts,  and  blunt  must  have  been 
that  one  which  did  not  pierce  some  potent  folly  of  language 
or  manner.  The  town  rang  with  anecdotes  of  their  rags, 
beggary,  and  quarrels ;  ballad-singers  made  merry  at  their 
expense,  and  the  stage  resounded  with  uncomplimentary 
allusions.  Indeed,  in  one  of  the  most  popular  plays  of  that 
period,  the  king  himself  was  not  spared,  and  the  actors  (Ben 
Jonson  among  them)  had  very  nearly  lost  their  ears  for  their 
boldness.  Nor  was  it  at  least  for  a  hundred  and  fifty  years 
after  this  period  that  the  Scotch  became  noted  for  that  enter- 
prise and  talent  which  now  distinguish  them. 

"We  do  not  deny  that  the  union  may  have  developed 


256  SNEEZING. 

their  traits,  but  it  is  clear  that  within  that  time  sniifF  had 
become  a  national  stimulant.  To  the  observer  of  men  and 
manners  there  is  something  very  characteristic  in  the  various 
fashions  in  which  the  pinch  of  snuff  is  taken.  '  The  exer- 
cise of  the  snuif-box,'  as  it  was  once  termed,  was  an  acknowl- 
edged science,  but  few  were  the  great  proficients  who  could 
mutely  express  their  feelings  by  its  aid.  We  have  not  space 
to  run  through  all  its  exercise,  but  we  may  mention  the 
'  pinch  military,'  which  Frederick,  and  after  him,  Napoleon 
practiced  inhaling  snuff  copiously,  and  with  much  waste,  as 
though  it  were  human  life  they  were  throwing  away ;  the 
*  pinch  malicious,'  of  which  Pope  was  perfect  master ;  the 
'pinch  dictatorial,'  which  burly  Jonson  established;  the 
'  pinch  sublimely  contemptuous,'  such  as  Reynolds  took 
when  some  travelling  virtuoso  hinted  at  excellence  away 
from  Leicester-square,  and  ruffled  his  complacent  vanity  ; 
and,  above  all,  the '  pinch  polite,'  which  Talleyrand  understood 
80  well. 

"  From  snuff  to  sneezing  is  but  a  step,  which  we  purpose 
taking  before  we  bring  this  cursory  article  to  a  close.  The 
act  of  sneezing  appears  to  have  been  variously  regarded  at 
various  stages  of  the  world's  history,  but  from  the  earliest 
times  of  which  we  have  any  authentic  record,  it  has  been 
the  customs  of  those  around  to  give  vent  to  a  short  benedic- 
tion immediately  upon  its  commission.  The  Kobbins  con- 
sidering themselves  bound  to  iind  a  reason  for  this  universal 
custom,  and  being  hard  pressed,  gave  the  somewhat  incom- 
prehensible explanation  that,  previous  to  Jacob,  man  sneezed 
but  once  in  his  lifetime,  and  then  immediately  before  death ; 
BO  that  those  around,  warned  of  his  imminent  journey, 
hastened  to  wish  it  a  good  termination.  How  it  was  that 
Jacob  instituted  a  new  order  of  things  we  are  not  told,  but 
as  a  proof  of  the  truth  of  their  assertion  they  give  the  fact 
that  in  all  nations  of  the  earth  a  similar  custom  will  be  found 
existing. 

"  Strangely  enough  this  assertion  was  corroborated  by  the 
first  colonists  of  America,  who  found  the  habit  to  be  in  com- 
mon use  amongst  the  aboriginal  tribes.  The  Greeks  and 
Komans  certainly  had  a  similar  habit,  but  far  from  attaching 
any  ill-omen  to  the  sneeze  they  regarded  it  as  of  good  augury. 
Thus  Catullus  assures  us  that  when  Cupid  upon  a  memorable 
occasion  sneezed,  all : 

'  The  little  loves  that  waited  by 
Bowed  and  blessed  the  augury. 


DIFFERENT  TASTES. 


257 


And  in  the'  Life  of  Themistocles,'  Plutarch  informs  his  readers 
that  sneezing  by  the  General  on  the  eve  of  a  battle  was 
regarded  as  a  certain  sign  of  conquest.  Strangely  enough 
we  find  that  in  comparatively  modern  times,  the  custom  of 
giving  expression  to  good  wishes  when  a  friend  sneezed  was 
attributed  to  the  fearful  plague  which  periodically  swept 
over  Europe.  Sneezing  was  one  of  its  first  and  most  dan- 
gerous symptoms,  and  those  who  were  by,  as  they  gathered 
their  robes  about  them  and  fled  from  their  doomed  fellow- 
creature,  would  ejaculate  a  quick  '  God  bless  j^ou,'  hurriedly 
invoking  from  a  more  merciful  quarter  the  aid  they  feared 
to  give.  Violent  sneezing  was  not  only  among  the  first,  but 
was  one  of  the  last  fatal  signs  of  that  fearful  scourge,  and 
was  often  too  rapidly  followed  by  death  to  give  time  for  more 
than  a  short  benediction.  Anyhow,  the  custom  still  exists  and 
one  of  the  most  pleasant  reminiscences  attached  to  the  first 
pinch  of  snuflf  is  the  chorus  of  hearty  good  wishes  of  sympa- 
thizing friends  which  follows  upon  the  inevitable  sneeze." 

The  variety  of  taste  in  snuff  is  accounted  for  by  the  prov- 
erb, "  So  many  men  to  so  many  noses."  Highland  gentle- 
men of  every  degree  are  mostly  fond  of  Gillespie ;  while 


HIGHLANDEKS. 


Operatives  from  the  Lowlands  generally  prefer  plain  Scotch. 
When  two  Highlanders  meet,  they  usually  exchange  a  pinch 
17 


258  RISE  AND  PROGRESS  OF  SNUFF-TAKING. 

of  snuff,  mntiiaWy  preeing  the  contents  of  their  mulls,  while 
their  colleys,  (dogs)  after  a  fashion  of  their  own,  take  a 
reciprocal  sniff  oi  each  other,  Cuba  is  the  favorite  of  the 
gentlemen  of  the  stock  exchange ;  the  tradesman's  box 
usually  contains  rappee ;  high  dried  Irish  is  grateful  to  those 
who  love  to  feel  the  taste  of  snuff  in  their  throat.  Sea-faring 
men  seldom  take  snuff  :  a  sailor  with  a  snuff-box  is  as  rarely 
to  be  met  with  as  a  sailor  without  a  knife. 

The  history  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  snuff-taking  abounds 
in  incidents  and  anecdotes,  among  the  most  curious  of  all 
that  relate  to  the  various  modes  of  using  the  weed.  Though 
once  the  most  popular  and  fashionable  manner  of  using 
tobacco  it  now  falls  far  behind  the  other  and  more  common 
and  more  popular  forms  of  indulging  in  the  herb.  In  France 
and  Spain  the  introduction  of  tobacco  ushered  in  this  form  of 
using  it,  and  to  inhale  a  few  grains  of  the  pungent  dust  was 
the  delight  of  polished  and  favored  courtiers  who  regardless 
of  the  forms  royalty  patronized  and  gave  sanction  to  the 
custom.  Thus  its  use  in  a  short  time  became  popular  all 
over  Europe  and  gave  unlimited  scope  for  the  satirist  and 
dramatist  to  ridicule  the  habit.  In  spite,  however,  of  frown 
and  ridicule  this  ancient  custom  though  not  now  as  popular 
or  as  fashionable,  still  claims  many  sincere  votaries  and 
doubtless  will  as  long  as  the  plant  is  cultivated  or  used  in  any 
form. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

CIGARS. 

**  The  poet  may  sing  of  the  leaf  of  the  rose, 
And  call  it  the  purest  and  sweetest  that  blows ; 
But  of  all  the  leaves  that  ever  were  tried, 
Give  me  the  tobacco  leaf  rolled  up  and  dried." 

"HE  smoking  of  cigars  is  now  considered  the  best 
as  it  is  the  most  fashionable  mode  of  using  the  weed. 
The  word  cigar  is  from  the  Spanish  cigai^ro,  and 
signifies  a  cylindrical  roll  of  tobacco  leaves,  made  of 
short  pieces  or  shreds  of  the  leaves  divested  of  the  stem 
and  wound  about  with  a  binder,  and  enveloped  in  a  portion 
of  the  leaf  known  by  the  name  of  wrapper — acute  at  one 
end  and  truncated  at  the  other.  In  the  East  Indies  a  sort 
of  cigar  called  cheroot  is  also  made  with  both  ends  truncated. 
The  smoking  of  tobacco  in  the  form  of  cigars  is  doubtless  the 
most  general  as  well  as  the  most  ancient  mode  of  its  use. 
When  Columbus  landed  in  Hispaniola,  the  sailors  saw  the 
natives  smoking  the  leaves  of  a  plant,  "  the  perfume  of  which 
was  fragrant  and  grateful."  But  while  cigars  are  of  very 
ancient  origin  in  the  West  Indies,  they  were  not  generally 
known  in  Europe  until  the  beginning  of  the  Nineteenth 
Century. ''''^In  fact,  of  all  the  various  works  on  gastronomy 
and  the  pleasures  of  the  table,  written  and  published  from 
1800  to  1815,  not  one  speaks  of  this  now  indispensable 
adjunct  of  a   good   dinner.     Even   Britlat-Savarin,   in  his 

259 


260  ANCIENT  DESCRIPTION.  . 

Physiologie  du  Goiit^  entirely  ignores  tobacco  and  all  its 
distractions  and  charms.  Benzo  gives  the  following  account 
of  the  manufacture  of  a  cigar  in  Hispaniola : — 

"  They  take  a  leafe  from  the  stalks  of  their  great  bastard 
corn  (which  we  commonly  called  Turkic — wheat)  together 
with  one  of  these  tobacco-leaves  and  fold  them  up  together 
like  a  coffin  of  paper,  such  as  grocers  make  to  put  spices  in, 
or  like  a  small  organ-pipe.  Then  putting  one  end  of  the 
same  coffin  to  the  fire,  and  holding  the  other  end  in  their 
months,  they  draw  their  breath  to  them.  When  the  fire 
hath  once  taken  at  the  pipe's  end,  they  draw  forth  so  much 
smoke  that  they  have  their  mouth,  nose,  throat,  and  head 
full  of  it ;  and,  as  if  they  tooke  a  singular  delight  therein 
they  never  leave  supping  and  drinking  till  they  can  sup  no 
more,  and  thereby  loose  their  breath  and  their  feeling." 

Sahagun,  in  his  "  History  of  New  Spain,"  speaks  of  the 
natives  as  using  the  leaves  of  tobacco  rolled  into  cigars,  which 
they  ignite  and  smoke  in  tubes  of  tortoise-shell  or  silver. 
The  following  article  from  the  New  York  Times  contains 
much  valuable  information  in  regard  to  cigars,  esj)ecially 
Havanas : 

"  It  is  perfectly  safe  to  say  that  there  is  more  money  spent 
every  day  in  New  York  for  cigars  than  for  bread,"  (doubted.) 
"Erom  the  fine  gentlemen,  who  buy  their  cigars  at  Del- 


monico's,  or  get  them  direct  from  the  importers,  down  to  the 
little  barefoot  boys  in  the  streets,  who  buy  theirs  from  the 
Chinamen  at  the  corners  or  pick  up  the  stumps  that  are 
thrown  away,  all  smoke.  In  some  countries  pipes  and 
cigarettes  are  made  to  do  duty  by  the  poorer  classes,  but  in 
New  York  cigars  seem  to  be  almost  invariably  preferred. 
Now,  while  there  is  nothing  better,  in  the  way  of  something 
to  smoke,  than  a  first-class  Havana  cigar,  there  is  nothing 
nastier  than  some  of  the  cheap  abominations  made  in  that 
shape  in  New  York.  To  the  truth  of  this  last  proposition, 
anyone  will  readily  testify  who  has  ever  been  bo  unfortunate 


NEW  YORK  CIGARS.  261 

as  to  have  had  to  ride  from  Harlem  to  New  York  in  a  late 
emokiiig-car,  with  half  a  dozen  roughs  smoking  cheap  cigars 
on  board. 

"  The  cigars  sold  in  this  market  may  be  divided  into  three 
classes—the  imported,  those  made  of  imported  tobacco,  and 
those  made  of  domestic  tobacco.  These  may  be  again  classi- 
fied under  many  different  heads,  as  there  are  many  kinds  and 
grades  of  each.  The  cheapest  cigars  in  New  York  are  dis- 
pensed by  dilapidated  Chinamen,  who  have  little  stands 
about  the  streets  and  markets.  These  are  certainly  the  vilest 
cigars  made  anywhere  in  the  world,  and  are  sold  from  one  to 
five  cents  each.  Next  in  order  come  the  common  domestic 
cigars.  They  are  sold  at  five  cents  each,  or  six  for  twenty- 
five  cents,  and  are  of  the  kind  kept  at  the  cheap  refreshment 
stalls,  lager  beer  saloons,  and  low  groggeries.  After  these 
are  the  more  pretentious  home-made  cigars,  manufactured  of 
selected  domestic  tobacco,  which  are  sold  all  over  the  city, 
and  in  the  making  of  which  Havana  '  fillers '  are  supposed  to 
be  used.  A  filler,  be  it  known,  in  technical  parlance  means 
that  portion  of  the  tobacco  of  which  the  inside  of  the  cigar 
is  made.  Price,  ten  to  fifteen  cents.  Then  comes  the  best 
class  of  cigars  in  which  domestic  tobacco  is  used,  those  which 
are  made  with  clear  Havana  fillers  and  Connecticut  wrap- 
pers. Fifteen  cents  is  the  price,  and  many  are  palmed  off 
on  the  unwise  for  the  real  imported  article.  Cigars  made 
wholly  of  imported  Cuban  tobacco  come  next  on  the  list. 
Some  of  them  are  excellent,  and  compare  favorably  with 
many  of  the  imported.  They  bring  from  fifteen  to  fifty  cents 
each  at  the  cigar  stores.  Last  in  line,  but  best  of  all,  is  the 
genuine,  imported  Havana  cigar.  Few  and  rare  are  they, 
and  great  is  the  price  of  the  liigher  grades  thereof. 

"  There  are  some  places  in  New  York  where  an  imported 
cigar  of  a  reasonable  size  may  be  bought  for  fifteen  cents, 
but  they  are  few  and  far  between.  Twenty  or  twenty-five 
cents  is  the  price  usually  charged,  and  from  that  to  a  dollar. 
All  the  cigars  made  in  the  United  States  are  invariably  put 
up  in  imitation  Havana  boxes,  with  imitation  Havana  labels 
and  brands.  It  is  doubtful,  however,  whether  this  transparent 
device  deceives  anybody,  for  in  accordance  with  the  United 
States  Internal  Revenue  laws,  all  boxes  of  cigars  manufac- 
tured in  the  United  States  must  not  only  bear  the  manufac- 
turer's label,  giving  his  full  name  and  place  of  business,  and 
the  number  of  his  manufactory,  but  they  must  also  bear  the 
United  States  inspector's  brand.  Before  the  present  law  was 
in  force,  and  the  duties  on  tobacco  were  low,  this  scheme 


263  INCIDENTS. 

may  have  been  profitable.  But  why  the  practice  is  still 
adhered  to  by  the  manufacturers  is  hard  to  imagine,  for  tlie 
boxes  now  used,  being  made  of  imported  cedar,  must  be  very 
costly,  and  must  materially  increase  the  price  of  cigars. 
Only  those  of  the  very  poorest  quality  are  packed  in  white 
wooden  boxes.  * 

"  Some  people  seem  to  smoke  not  because  they  like  it,  but 
only  to  be  in  the  fashion.  Some  days  ago  the  writer  of  this 
article  happened  to  be  in  a  cigar-store,  when  two  well-dressed 
young  men  came  in  and  asked  for  some  ten  cent  cigars.  The 
clerk  handed  out  the  box,  and  after  a  critical  inspection  the 
purchaser  asked :  "  Are  these  medium  V  '  Yes,  sir,'  said  the 
clerk.  '  Then  I'll  take  a  dollar's  worth.'  After  they  had 
gone  the  writer  asked  the  clerk  what  they  meant  by  '  medium.' 
He  said  he  didn't  exactly  know,  but  supposed  they  wanted 
to  know  whether  the  cigars  were  between  strong  and  mild. 
*  I  told  them  they  were,'  said  he,  '  because  I  thought  they 
would  buy  if  I  said  so,  but  they  are  all  alike.'  And  in  this 
connection  it  is  very  singular  that  although  the  Island  of 
Cuba  is  so  near  to  the  United  States  and  so  many  cigars  are 
imported  into  this  city,  so  little  is  known  about  the  different 
sizes  and  brands  of  cigars,  excepting,  of  course,  by  those  in 
the  business.  It  is  a  common  thing  here  to  see  a  man  ask  in 
a  cigar  store  for  a  jFlor  del  Fumar,  a  Figaro.^  or  an  Espanola. 
By  this  he  means  a  cigar  of  a  certain  size,  and  does  not  seem 
to  know  that  these  are  not  the  names  which  designate  the 


CIGAR-HOLDERS. 


size,  but  are  the  names  of  the  manufactories.  In  Havana, 
were  a  man  to  ask  for  a  Flor  del  Fumar^  the  dealer  would 
ask  him  what  size  he  wanted. 


HAVANA  CIGARS.  263 

"  Every  box  of  cigars  packed  in  Havana  has,  at  least,  six 
distinctive  works  on  it.  First  is  the  brand,  which  is  burned 
in  the  upper  side  of  the  lid  of  the  box,  with  an  iron  made  for 
the  purpose;  second  the  label,  this  bears  the  name  and 
address  of  the  manufactory  ;  third,  the  mark  designating  the 
size  and  shape  of  the  cigars,  this  is  usually  put  on  with  a 
stencil ;  there  are  not  so  very  many  regular  sizes,  or  vitolas, 
made  in  Havana  as  might  be  imagined,  a  list  of  them  may 
prove  interesting.  These  are  :  Damos,  Entre  Actos,  Opera, 
Concha,  Regalia  de  Concha,  Londres,  Londres  de  Corte, 
Kegalia  de  Londres,  Regalia  Britanica,  Regalia  del  Rey, 
Regalia  de  la  Reina,  Reina  Victoria,  Panetelos,  Trabucos, 
Embajadores,  Especiales,  Imperiales,  Brevos,  Prensados, 
Cilindrados,  Millar  Vegueros.  The  Damos  (Dames)  as  their 
name  indicates,  are  meant  for  the  ladies,  and  are  the  smallest 
made.  The  Cozadores  (huntsmen)  are  the  longest,  and 
the  Trabucos  (blunderbusses)  the  fattest.  The  Prensa- 
dos (pressed)  are  flat,  and  Cilindrados  (cylindrical)  are  so 
called  because,  when  green,  they  are  put  in  bundles  of  twenty- 
five,  and  tightly  rolled  in  strong  tissue  paper,  which  is  twisted 
at  each  end  of  the  roll.  When  the  cigars  are  dry  the  paper 
is  taken  off,  and  the  bunch  retains  the  cylindrical  shape  given 
it.  The  Brevos  (figs)  are  also  tied  up  while  green,  and 
and  tightly  pressed.  This  makes  them  stick  together  some- 
thing like  figs,  hence  their  name.  The  Yegueros  (plantation) 
take  their  name  from  the  fact  that  they  are  supposed  to  be 
made  like  those  made  on  the  plantations,  but  they  are  not 
made  in  the  same  way. 

"  In  the  Vegos  (plantations)  the  vegicero,  or  planter,  makes 
his  cigar  of  a  single  leaf  of  tobacco,  which  he  carries  ready 
moistened  for  the  purpose,  by  rolling  it  on  his  knee.  Besides 
the  above,  some  fancy  sizes  have  been  adopted  of  late  years, 
but  they  are  made  by  only  a  few  of  the  larger  manufacturers 
in  Havana.  Fourth  is  the  color  mark,  which  is  also  put  on 
in  stencil.  Fifth,  the  class  mark.  All  the  round  cigars  made 
in  Havana  are  separated  into  three  classes:  Primera,  or 
first ;  Segunda^  or  second ;  and  Tercera,  or  third.  Some 
manufacturers  never  mark  any  of  their  cigars  as  of  the  third 
class,  not  because  they  do  not  make  them,  but  because  they 
think  they  sell  better  without  the  mark.  They  make  the 
first  class  Flor^  the  second  Primera,  and  the  third  Segunda. 
Others  mark  all  their  cigars  as  of  the  first  class,  and  indicate 
the  classes  by  the  color  of  the  labels,  and  in  this  way  none 
but  the  wholesale  purchaser  knows  the  secret.     Sixth,  the 


264  QUALITIES  OF  HAVANA  CIGARS. 

last,  is  the  mark  denoting  the  number  of  cigars  in  the  box. 
This  is  stenciled  on  the  side  in  Arabic  numerals. 

"  A  theory  has  obtained  that  cigars  made  in  Havana,  by 
reason  of  some  inexplicable  climatic  influence,  are  better 
than  those  made  in  New  York,  even  should  they  be  made  of 
tobacco  from  the  same  plantation.  This  may  be  so,  but  it  is 
doubtful  whether  this  was  ever  fairly  tested,  or,  indeed, 
whether  it  was  ever  tested  at  all.  The  truth  is  that  all  the 
best  tobacco  grown  in  the  island  of  Cuba  is  bought  up  by  the 
heavy  manufacturers  in  Havana.  The  crops  of  the  best 
plantations  are  contracted  for  in  advance,  and  the  old-estab- 
lished firms  buy  from  the  same  vegos  year  aftw  year.  Hence 
it  is  why  their  cigars  are  so  uniform  in  quality.  All  Cuban 
tobacco  is  not  good,  by  any  means.  The  tobacco  from  the 
Yuelta  de  Arriba  is  not  so  good  as  that  from  the  Vuelta  de 
Abajo,  and  yet  there  is  but  little  difference  in  their  geo- 
graphical position.  And  in  the  Yuelta  de  Abajo,  a  short 
distance  makes  a  difference  in  the  quality  of  the  tobacco. 
Some  vegos  are  celebrated  for  their  good  crops,  while  others, 
perhaps  not  a  hundred  yards  away,  do  not  produce  good 
crops  at  all.  There  are  many  poor  cigars  made  in  Cuba,  as 
all  who  have  ever  been  there  know,  and  all  over  the  island 
the  Havana  cigar  is  deemed  the  best.  In  Havana,  and, 
indeed,  in  all  parts  of  the  island,  green  or  freshly-made 
cigars  are  preferred,  and  the  most  esteemed  cigar-cases  are 
made  of  carefully  prepared  bladders,  in  which  the  cigai's  are 
rolled  to  prevent  the  evaporation  of  the  moisture. 

"  When  a  Cuban  gentleman  gives  a  cigar  to  a  friend,  he 
does  not,  as  we  do,  open  his  case,  and  offer  it  to  him  to 
choose  from  but  he  examines  its  contents  carefully  and 
critically,  selects  the  one  he  thinks  the  best  and  offers  it. 
And  there  is  a  great  deal  more  in  the  choice  of  a  cigar,  by 
selecting  it  on  account  of  its  outside  appearance,  than  one 
not  accustomed  to  it  would  suppose.  A  wrapper  which  has 
that  which  the  Cubans  call  calidad  makes  the  cigar  much 
stronger  than  one  which  does  not  possess  it.  That  is  to  say, 
that  the  wrapper  which  has  calidad  contains  more  essential 
oil,  is  denoted  by  an  abundance  of  small  pustules  on  the  sur- 
face of  the  leaf,  and  by  a  general  rich,  oily  appearance.  As 
a  proof  of  the  foregoing  proposition,  it  is  only  necessary  to 
know  how  cigars  are  made.  A  lot  of  tobacco  is  worked  up 
into  say  50,000.  After  they  are  all  made,  they  are  turned 
over  to  be  assorted,  according  to  color  and  class,  and  are 
packed  and  marked.      The   fillers  are   all    alike,  it  is  the 


RELATIVE  VALUE  AND  SIZE.  265 

wrappers  that  make  the  difference.  To  assort  the  colors  a 
very,  correct  eye  is  required,  and  those  who  do  this  part  of  the 
work  make  better  wages  than  those  who  make  the  cigars. 

"  The  vahie  of  cigars  does  not  increase  in  direct  ratio  with 
their  size,  for  owing  to  tlie  difficulty  in  getting  good  wrap- 
pers for  the  larger  kinds,  the  expense  of  their  manufacture 
is  much  increased.  Upon  one  occasion,  in  Havana,  a  man- 
ufacturer received  an  order  for  a  thousand  cigars  intended 
for  the  Queen  of  Spain's  husband,  Don  Francisco  de  Asis, 
which  he  agreed  to  make  for  $1,000.  They  were  delivered 
in  due  time,  and  packed  in  a  richly-mounted  cedar  chest, 
were  sent  to  the  royal  recipient.  They  were  magnificent 
cigars,  of  the  cazadores  size,  all  of  the  same  color,  and  so 
Bmoothly  made  as  to  look  as  if  they  had  been  turned  out  of 
hard  wood  instead  of  rolled  tobacco.  They  were  placed  on 
exhibition  for  a  few  days  before  they  were  sent  to  Spain, 
and  a  gentleman  who  saw  them,  wishing  to  make  a  present  to 
some  dignitary,  asked  the  manufacturer  to  make  him  a 
a  like  number  at  the  same  price.  To  his  surprise,  the  order 
was  refused.  The  manufacturer  said  he  could  not  do  it  for 
the  money.  His  explanation  was  that  it  was  not  the  actual 
cost  of  the  tobacco  and  labor  of  making  them,  but  it  was  on 
account  of  the  trouble  and  expense  met  with  in  selecting  the 
wrappers.  He  said  he  had  to  pick  over  thousands  of  bales 
before  he  could  secure  a  sufficient  number  of  the  proper 
length,  color,  and  fineness. 

"  Some  two  years  ago  there  was  a  story  of  a  Cuban  cigar- 
dealer  in  Broadway,  who  selected  cigars  for  his  more  favored 
customers  by  ear.  It  was  said  that  he  put  the  cigar  to  his 
ear,  and  listened  intently  for  a  moment,  and  by  the  cracking 
of  the  tobacco  was  enabled  to  judge  of  its  quality.  This  was 
a  good  advertising  dodge,  but  in  practice  it  was  all  nonsense. 
None  but  that  wily  Cuban  ever  heard  of  such  a  mode  of  try- 
ing a  cigar.  In  the  Island  of  Cuba  that  which  we  call  a 
cigar  is  called  a  tahaco  (a  tobacco)  and  when  it  is  required  to 
discriminate  between  the  manufactured  and  unmanufactured 
article  it  is  called  tahaco  torcido,  or  rolled  tobacco.  This, 
however,  is  only  necessary  when  used  in  the  plural.  In 
Mexico  a  cigar  is  called  a  puro,  and  in  Peru*  and  some  of 
the  other  Spanish  American  countries  it  is  called  a  cigarro 
jmro,  in  contradistinction  to  the  cigarro  de  -papel,  or  cigarette. 

•  Ballaert  Bays  that  the  consumption  of  cigara  in  Peru  is  enormous.  "An  old  fisherman 
on  oelnR  asked  how  he  amused  himself  when  not  at  liis  labors,  replied, '  Why  I  smoke  ;  and 
*8  J  have  consumed  41)  paper  cigars  a  day  for  the  last  50  years,  which  cost  me  one  rial  eacU 
will  you  have  the  goodness  to  tell  me  how  many  1  have  smoked,  and  how  much  1  haye 
expended  for  tobacco  ? ' " 


266 


TOBACCO  IN  MEXICO. 


Cigarettes  in  Cuba  are  called  cigarros,  and  theii*  consump- 
tion is  enormous.  Strange  as  it  may  appear,  there  are  some 
confirmed  smokers  in  Cuba  who  never  use  cigars  at  all,  but 
confiae  themselves  to  cigarettes.  To  the  New  Yorker  it 
looks  curious  to  see  a  great,  bearded  man  smoking  a  tiny 
cigarette ;  and,  indeed  were  he  to  smoke  his  cigarette  as  the 
New  Yorker  would  smoke  his  cigar,  it  would  be  labor  lost,  so 
far  as  getting  any  effect  of  the  tobacco  was  concerned.  But 
the  cigarette  smoker  inhales  the  greater  part  of  the  smoke,  it 
goes  directly  into  his  lungs,  and  into  contact  with  a  large 
surface  of  mucous  membrane,  and,  indeed,  with  the  blood 
itself.  Were  the  New  York  cigar-makers  to  smoke  a  cigar- 
ette in  the  same  way  it  would  make  him  so  giddy  that  he 
would  be  compelled  to  give  it  up  long  before  it  was  consumed. 
That  the  smoke  does  go  into  the  lungs  is  proved  by  the  fact 
that  a  cigarette  smoker  can  inhale  the  smoke  and  exhale  it 
again  after  drinking  a  glass  of  water." 

All  tobacco  grown  upon  the  island  of  Cuba  is  not  of  the 
finest  quality ;  the  majority  of  it  is  far  inferior  to  the  best 


LIFE    IN    MEXICO. 


Mexican  coast  tobacco.     The  value  of  the  tobacco  lands  of 
this  last  mentioned  country  has  not  been  fully  developed. 


CIGAR-MAKERS.  267 

The  variety  of  soil,  exposure,  climate,  and  atmospheric 
influences  are  greater  than  can  possibly  be  in  Cuba,  and  when 
the  best  is  discovered,  combining  all  the  requisites,  which 
undoubtedly  will  be  the  case  with  an  increased  culture  of  the 
plant,  it  will  be  found  to  be  equal  to  the  Vuelta  Abogo  of 
Cuba,  and  much  more  extensive.  The  subject  of  tobacco 
lands,  evidently,  is  not  well  understood  in  Mexico,  as  it  must 
be,  from  great  experience,  in  Cuba.  All  of  these  varieties 
of  lands  and  circumstances  exist  in  Mexico,  and  it  is  safe  to 
predict  that,  at  some  day,  this  country  will  stand  pre-eminent 
over  all  others  in  this  industry. 

We  extract  the  following  from  the  Tobacco  Leaf  in 
regard  to  cigar-making  in  Cuba : — 

"  The  rule  is  that  a  cigar-maker  devotes  all  his  ingenuity 
and  diligence  to  one  class  of  goods.  For  example,  one  work- 
man makes  only  Londres  /  another  only  Regalias  /  another 
only  Milores  Communes  ^  and  so  on.  In  the  Cuban's  factory 
the  operatives  are  allowed  to  smoke  as  many  cigars  as  they 
like  when  at  work ;  and  to  take  home  with  them,  when  they 
leave  work  in  the  evening,  five  cigars  each.  The  immigra- 
tion of  Chinese  laborers  into  Cuba  has  modified,  and  must 
further  modify,  the  labor  market  there.  In  the  cigarette 
factories  at  Havana,  Chinese  workmen  are  almost  exclusively 
employed.  Though  objectionable  for  many  of  their  moral 
habits,  these  workmen  are  nevertheless  docile,  ingenious, 
laborious,  and  contented." 

A  writer,  alluding  to  the  manufacture  of  cigars,  says : — 

"  The  colors  or  strengths  are  Amarillo  Claro,  bright  yel- 
low ;  Amarillo  Ohscuro,  dark  yellow ;  Claro,  bright ;  Colorado 
Claro,  bright  red ;  Colorado,  red ;  Colorado  Ohscuro,  dark 
red  ;  Colorado  Maduro,  red-ripe  or  mellow ;  Ifaduro,  ripe  or 
mellow ;  Maduro  Ohscuro,  dark  ripe  or  mellow ;  Pajho 
Claro,  bright  straw-colored;  Pajizo,  straw-colored;  Pajizo 
Ohscuro,  dark  straw-colored  ;  Fuerte,  strong  or  heavy  ;  Entre 
Fuerte,  rather  strong  or  heavy  ;  Flajo,  light.  Then  there 
are  the  indications  of  the  qualities: — Superfine;  Fir o,  not 
quite  so  fine  ;  Flor,  finest  or  firsts  ;  Superior,  next,  or  seconds; 
Buenos,  next,  or  thirds.  The  cigar  has  a  notable  history. 
First  has  to  be  determined  the  part  of  the  plant  from  which 
it  is  taken  ;  then  tlie  part  of  the  leaf  from  which  it  is  taken, 
the    tobacco   being  best   whicli  is  furthest  away  from   the 


268 


CUBAN  CIGARS. 


root  or  middle  of  the  leaf.  One  elaborate  process  follows 
another  for  the  perfection  of  a  work  of  art — for  as  such  we 
must  regard  a  cigar." 

Hazard,  in  his  admirable  work  on  Cuba,  devotes  consider- 
able space  to  cigars,  their  manufacture,  varieties,  and  use,  in 
which  he  speaks  of  the  various  brands  as  follows : — 

"  The  brands  known  as  '  Yara  Mayau^  and  the  '  Guisa^ 
are  perhaps  the  most  celebrated  made  upon  the  Island.  Of 
the  '  Yara^  which  has  some  considerable  reputation,  partic- 
ularly in  the  London  market,  I  confess  I  cannot  speak  favor- 
ably. Cigars  that  I  smoked  made  from  this  leaf,  and  which 
are  much  smoked  in  the  vicinity  of  Santiago  de  Cuba,  I 
found  had  a  peculiar  saline  taste  which  was  very  unpleasant, 
as  also  a  slight  degree  of  bitterness  ;  many  smokers,  however, 
become  very  fond  of  this  flavor.  When  I  state  that  in 
Havana  alone  there  are  over  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
manufacturers  of  cigars,  it  will  readily  be  understood  there 
must  be  a  great  many  inferior  cigars  made  even  in  Cuba. 
Havana  may  be  called  the  '  City  of  cigars,'  from  its  reputA- 
tion  and  the  immense  number  of  factories  there  are  in  it  for 
the  manufacture  of  cigars,  from  the  smallest  shop  opening 
on  the  street,  employing  three  or  four  hands  to  the  immense 
fabricos  erected  expressly  for  this  purpose,  and  employing 
live  or  six  hundred. 

"Let  not  any  one  imagine,  then,  that  because  he  is  in 
Havana  he  will  get  no  poor  cigars,  for  a  greater  mistake  can 

,^        ^  ^/   not  be  made,  for 


just  as  vile  trash 
can  there  be  pur- 
chased  as  a  n  y 
where;  and  it 
appeared  to  me 
that  in  buying, 
from  time  to  time 
in  different 
fabricos^  a  few 
cigars  it  was 
rarely  I  found  a 
really  good  one. 
It  behooves, 
then,  every  lover 
of  a  ffood  cifirar 
to  make  himself 
familiar  with  the  best  makers  and  brands,  and  to  purchase 


CIGAR  FACTORIES.  269 

those,  and  those  only,  that  suit  his  taste.  To  the  trareler  in 
Havana,  this  is  easy  enough,  as  he  can  there  buy  sample 
boxes  from  any  of  the  factories  and  of  any  of  the  brands. 
There  are,  in  addition  to  these  hundreds  of  other  cigar  factories, 
some  of  which,  such  as  Cabargos,  Figaros,  Luetanos,  Vic- 
torias, etc.,  are  first-class,  three  or  four  at  least  in  whose 
cigars  every  smoker  may  have  perfect  confidence,  the  brands 
of  which  are  known  all  over  the  world.  These  are :  CahanoSy 
Ujppmann  and  Partagas',  for  whose  brands,  perhaps,  one 
pays  something  more,  but  has  always  the  satisfaction  of  find- 
ing them  good.  To  the  kindness  of  the  gentlemen  connected 
with  some  of  these  factories  I  am  indebted  for  most  of  the 
information  in  this  article,  and  particularly  to  Sefior  Don 
Avulmo  Gr.  del  Valle,  the  present  proprietor  of  the  Cabafios 
Factory,  who  was  good  enough  to  show  me  through  his 
establishment,  carefully  explaining  to  me  its  peculiarities. 
As  the  process  of  manufacture  and  description  of  grades  and 
qualities  are  the  same  with  all  the  best  makers,  I  give  here 
a  detailed  history  of  this  factory  and  its  products. 

"  The  factory  for  Cabafios  cigars  has  been  established 
seventy-two  years  the  founder  of  it  being  Don  Francisco 
Cabanos,  his  son,  Don  de  P.  Cabanos,  succeeding  him,  to  whom 
has  succeeded  his  son-in-law,  Senor  del  Yalle,  the  present 
proprietor  and  director  of  the  factory.  When  it  was  founded, 
the  cigars  were  sold  to  the  public  in  bundles  of  twenty,  only 
amounting  to  a  total  number  per  year,  of  four  or  five  hun- 
dred thousand  cigars,  the  sales  of  which  kept  constant^ 
increasing  until  1826,  when  there  were  sold  two  millions. 
At  this  period  the  demand  for  exportation  commenced, 
increasing  each  year  until  1848,  when  the  number  sold 
amounted  to  three  and  a  half  millions.  At  this  time,  the 
present  director  came  in  charge,  and  increased  the  sale  to 
eight  millions  per  year,  until,  in  1866,  the  total  sales  by  this 
one  house  only,  amounted  to  the  enormous  number  of  six- 
teen million  cigars,  which  went  to  difierent  parts  of  the 
world.  The  tobacco  manipulated  in  this  factory  is,  with 
some  few  exceptions,  that  grown  upon  plantations  in  the 
Vuelta  Abojo,  with  the  proprietors  of  which  Senor  del  Valle 
has  a  special  contract  for  their  product.  The  most  noted  of 
these  places  are  known  as  '  La  Lena,''  '  San  Juan  aj  Martin,^ 
'  Los  Pilotos,^  '  Rio  Hondo.''  The  firm  also  own  three  vegas^ 
as  do  also  P&rtagas,  Uppmann,  and  others,  in  a  greater  or 
less  degree.  The  amount  raised  upon  these  vegas  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Cabanos   Factory,  amounts  to  five  thousand 


270  PREPARATION  OF  THE  TOBACCO. 

bales,  of  from  first  to  eighth  quality,  leaving  the  most 
inferior  qualities,  which  amount  to  about  one  thousand  bales, 
for  exportation,  the  factory  not  using  such  common  grades. 
It  is  a  custom  of  the  manufacturers  to  keep  a  supply  of  the 
best  qualities  always  on  hand  from  year  to  year,  in  order 
that,  should  the  tobacco  crop,  in  any  one  year,  be  bad,  the 
reputation  of  the  house  can  be  maintained  by  using  the  good 
tobacco  in  the  store.  The  factory  is  a  large  stone  building, 
opposite  the  Canipo  de  Moste,  in  which  all  the  operations 
connected  with  cigar  making  are  carried  on  (excej^ting  the 
manufacture  of  boxes)  by  over  five  hundred  operatives,  all 
males.     The  following  is  the  process  of  manufacture : 

"  Arrived  at  the  factory,  the  tobacco  bales,  carefully  packed 
and  wrapped  in  palm  leaves,  are  kept  in  a  cool,  dark,  place 
on  the  first  floor,  being  divided  off  into  classes  according  to 
quality  and  value,  which  latter  varies  from  twenty  to  four 
hundred  dollars  per  bale  of  two  hundred  pounds.  When 
wanted,  the  bales  are  opened,  the  manojas  and  gahillos  are 
separated,  and  the  latter  carried  in  their  dry  state  to  the 
moistening  room.  Here  are  a  number  of  men  whose  busi- 
ness it  is  to  place  the  leaves,  for  the  purpose  of  moistening 
and  softening  them,  into  large  barrels  in  which  is  a  solution 
of  saltpetre  in  water ;  this  done,  the  M^ater  is  poured  off,  and 
other  workmen  spread  out  the  leaves  with  their  hands  upon 
the  edges  of  the  barrels,  ridding  them  as  much  as  possible, 
of  any  surplus  water;  after  which,  the  leaves,  from  being 
moistened,  unfold  very  easily,  and,  with  care,  without  tear- 
ing. The  stem  is  then  taken  out,  the  process  being  known 
as  disbalillar.  These  stems,  with  the  refuse  of  other  tobacco, 
are  sometime  used  as  filling  for  the  commonest  kind  of  cigars. 
The  filling  is  known  as  tripa^  the  very  best  being  selected, 
like  the  leaf,  for  the  best  cigars.  Now  comes  the  maker, 
and  supplying  himself  with  a  handful  of  leaf  {copa)  for 
wrappers,  and  a  lot  of  the  tripa  for  filling  or  really  making 
the  body  of  the  cigar  itself  he  carries  it  to  a  little  table,  and 
spreading  the  wrapper  upon  the  table,  cuts  with  a  short 
knife  the  different  portions  of  the  leaf.  This  is  a  very  nice 
operation,  requiring  skill,  knowledge,  and  experience  ;  for  it 
is  in  this  operation  that  the  different  qualities  of  tobacco  are 
separated,  the  outside  of  the  leaf  being  generally  the  best ; 
next  that,  another  quality  ;  and  that  portion  adjoining  the 
stem  the  worst. 

"  The  general  sorting  of  the  tobacco  is  done  by  hands  of 
great   experience  and  judgment,  who   are   the   highest  in 


SORTING  OF  LEAVES.  271 

consideration  in  the  factories,  some  of  them  receiving  large 
pay ;  thus  for  instance,  the  official  escqjedor,  or  chooser,  gets 
from  five  to  seven  dollars  (gold)  per  day,  and  the  torcedores,  or 
twisters,  from  two  to  four,  the  workmen  being  paid  so  much 
per  thousand  cigars,  generally  from  two  to  four  dollars.  To 
show  how  very  careful  the  maker  must  be  in  cutting  out  the 
leaf  to  make  the  most  of  it :  Mr.  del  Yalle  was  explaining 
to  me  the  process  of  manufacture,  and  directed  the  maker 
to  cut  the  leaf.  This  the  man  did  drawing  his  knife  in  the 
manner  denoted  by  the  dotted  lines  in  the  engraving.     This 

it  appears  was  not  making  the  most 
i)f  the  fine  part  of  the  leaf,  for  Mr. 
(J el  Yalle,  annoyed,  took  the  knife 
liimself,  and  after  rating  the  maker 
soundly  for  his  carelessness,  showed 
him  how  to  cut  it  properly,  as  defined 
by  the  black  line,  the  difference 
being,  as  far  as  I  could  judge,  a  slight 
TOBACCO  LEAF.  iuequalitv  of  color  between  the  two 

parts.  The  manufacture  of  the  cigar 
is  very  simple.  The  cigar  maker,  being  seated  before  a  low 
work  table,  which  has  raised  ledges  on  every  side  except  that 
nearest  him,  takes  a  leaf  of  tobacco,  spreads  it  out  smoothly 
before  him,  and  cuts  it  as  in  the  drawing.  He  then  lays  a 
few  fragments  of  tobacco  [tripa)  in  the  centre  or  a  leaf  strip 
and  rolls  the  whole  into  the  shape  of  a  cigar,  and  taking 
then  a  wrapper,  rolls  it  spirally  around  the  cigar.  If  the 
workman  is  skillful,  he  makes  it  of  just  the  right  length  and 
size,  without  any  trimming  of  the  knife.  The  cigars  are 
assorted,  counted,  and  done  up  in  bundles  of  generally 
twenty-five  each,  and  then  packed  in  the  boxes,  ready  for 
market,  under  their  different  names  of  Londres,  Regalias, 
etc.  These  names  are  generally  understood  to  have  the 
same  meaning  throughout  the  trade,  the  '  Vegueros,^  for 
instance,  being  the  plantation  cigars,  made  at  the  regas,  and 
much  esteemed  by  smokers,  though  they  are  rarely  to  be 
met  with  for  sale,  or,  if  so,  at  an  exhorbitant  price.  The 
'  Regalia  Imperial,^  the  finest  and  best,  is  nearly  seven 
inches  long,  the  price  varying  from  one  hundred  and  fifty 
to  three  hundred  dollars  per  thousand  (gold).  The  '  Regalia ' 
is  not  so  large  but  fine,  the  '  Traluco^  short  and  thick ;  the 
*  Londres^  the  most  convenient  in  shape,  and  most  smoked 
in  this  country  and  England  ;  the  '  Dama '  the  small  sized  one 
used  by  ladies(?)  or  by  men  between  acts  of  the  opera  {entr* 


272  SALES,  &c. 

operas).  There  are  also  other  names  which  each  factory  has 
for  some  particular  kinds.  Artificial  flavors  are  given  to 
cigars,  when  some  particular  taste  is  to  be  satisfied,  by  the 
use  of  flavoring  extracts.  Each  of  the  above  names  has 
difierent  qualities,  as : 

Londres  '  superfine '  the  very  best  of  that  size  (delicious). 
"         ''fino^  not  quite  so  fine. 
"         ''fior^  finest,  or  firsts. 
"         '  superior,^  next,  or  seconds. 
"         '  hxienos^  next,  or  thirds. 

Again,  these  different  qualities  have  different  colors,  known 
as :  '  maduro^  strongest ;  '  oscuro,^  strong  (dark) ;  '  Colorado, 
medium ;  '  claro^  mild  ;  '  Brevors^  means  pressed.  Thus, 
supposing  one  wanted  a  good  cigar  to  suit  his  taste,  he 
would  perhaps  order:  'Partagas'  (maker),  'londres'  (size), 
*flor'  (quality),  'Colorado'  or  'oscuro'  (strength),  and  he 
would  get  a  good  cigar,  nice  size,  best  quality,  not  too  strong, 
or  too  mild. 

"  1  must  confess  to  a  weakness  for  the  Uppmann  cigars, 
which  I  have  found,  without  exception,  to  be  good,  and 
which  have  a  fine  reputation  throughout  the  West  Indies. 
A  millionaire  need  not  want  a  better  cigar  to  smoke  than 
their  '  Londres  superfine^  at  sixty  dollars  (gold)  per  thousand, 
in  Havana,  or  their  '  Cazadores^  at  fifty  dollars.  Partagas 
cigars  of  course,  every  one  knows  are  good  ;  and  he  keeps 
generally  pretty  well  sold  up,  but  fills  orders  as  they  come 
in.  For  a  new  experience,  one  of  his  '  Begcdio  Reyno  jior^ 
is  something  to  try,  even  if  they  do  cost  out  there  eighty- 
five  dollars,  gold. 

"  In  all  the  factories  they  make  about  the  following  rates : 
For  every  order  of  ten  thousand,  costing  fifty  dollars  per 
thousand,  five  per  cent,  discount  is  allowed.  Less  than  five 
thousand  will  pay  five  dollars  extra.  I  should,  perhaps, 
mention  that  no  distinction  is  made  to  dealers,  the  only 
advantage  they  have  over  the  private  buyer  is,  that  they  are 
enabled  to  get  the  discount  for  large  lots.  The  absurd 
notion  so  prevalent  with  us,  that  the  Cubans  only  smoke 
their  cigars  green,  is  an  error,  since  the  leaf  is  entirely  dried 
in  the  sun  before  being  touched  by  the  manufacturer.  The 
Cubans  are  very  particular  indeed  to  preserve  the  aroma  and 
fragrance  of  the  cigars,  by  keeping  them  in  wrappers  of 
oiled  and  soft  silks;  it  is,  in  fact,  quite  a  sight  to  see  with 
what  ceremony  some  of  these  are  produced  at  gentlemen's 
tables,  with  much  unction,  like  the  ushering  in  of  old  wine. 


LARGE  FACTORIES.  ^73 

My  chapter  on  cigars  wonld  be  incomplete  did  I  fail  to  note 
the  beautiful  and  courteous  way  in  which  all  Cubans  no 
matter  of  what  position,  whether  the  exquisite  at  the  club, 
or  the  'portero  at  the  door,  ask  you  for  a  light.  '  Do  me  the 
favor  Seilor  ? '  and  you  present  your  cigar,  the  lighted  end 
towards  the  speaker.  He  takes  the  cigar  delicately  between 
his  thumb  and  fore-finger,  lights  his  own,  and  then,  with  a 
quick,  graceful  motion,  turns  yours  in  his  fingers,  presenting 
you,  with  another  wave,  the  mouth  end,  makes  you  a  hand 
salute,  utters  his  gracios,  and  leaves  you  studying  out  the 
'motions'  and  thinking  what  a  charming  thing  is  national 
politeness." 

In  the  selection  of  leaves  for  the  manufacture  of  cigars  in 
the  factories  only  the  large  fine  ones  are  used  for  Begalias, 
Imperiales,  or  Medios  Regalias;  and  also  for  Cazadores, 
Panetelos^  Imperiales^  Caballeros,  and  so  on;  the  smaller 
fine  leaves  for  Panetelos  and  Londres ;  the  dark  inferior 
leaves  for  Canones.  The  commonest  tobacco  goes  to  form 
the  Milores  Communes  ;  the  worst  is  converted  into  cigars 
which  are  generally  pressed  flat,  and  known  as  Prinsados. 
For  the  smallest  kind  of  Londres  and  for  Damos^  a  propor- 
tionally small  leaf  is  employed. 

In  Cuba  and  Luzon,  one  of  the  Philippine  Islands,  is 
found  one  of  the  largest  factories  for  cigars  in  the  world.  In 
Manilla  there  are  three  factories  where  T,000  families  and 
1,200  males  are  employed :  one  in  Cavite,  in  which  5,000 
operatives,  mostly  females,  are  engaged ;  and  one  in  Malabar, 
which  gives  employment  to  about  2,000  more,  also  females. 
The  tobacco  is  worked  into  both  cigars  and  cheroots  both  of 
which  have  a  variety  of  shapes.  In  both  Manilla  and  Havana 
the  custom  of  smoking  is  universal  and  one  rarely  meets 
with  any  of  the  male  sex  without  a  cigar  between  his  lips. 

A  writer  speaking  of  the  universality  of  the  custom  says : 

"  In  Havana,  the  custom  of  smoking  is  a  universal  one. 
There,  young  and  old  indulge  freely  in  the  use  of  the  weed, 
dividing  their  attention  pretty  equally  between  the  cigar 
and  the  cigarette.  Even  the  ladies  of  the  better  class  in 
man}'  instances  indulge ;  though  not  to  so  great  an  extent  as 
is  commonly  reported." 

"  Smoking  in  Cuba"  says  an  American  writer,  "  is  like  the 
18 


274 


UNIVERSAL  SMOKING. 


habit  of  making  ehoes  in  Lynn,  Massachusetts,  everybody 
emokes ! — in  the  house,  and  by  the  way ;  in  the  cars,  and  on 
horseback ;  everywhere,  and  at  all  times.  Tou  meet  wliole 
regiments  of  youngsters,  from  six  to  eight  years  of  age,  with 
black  beaver  hats,  tail-coats,  and  canes,  each  with  a  cigar, 
nearly  his  own  size,  in  his  mouth.  You  feel  like  putting  the 
miniature  dandies  into  the  water  of  the  next  fountain  basin, 
which  shallow  as  it  is,  would  fully,  suffice  to  drown  the  largest 
of  them." 

You  have  a  right  to  accost  any  one  smoking  in  the  street, 

however  much  may  be  his  superiority  or  inferiority  to  your- 
self, and  to  ask  a  light  for  your  cigar ;  even  negroes  hatless 
and  shirtless,  thus  address  well-dickied  gentlemen,  and  vice 
versa.  Refuse  to  take  a  cigar  with  a  Cuban,  and  you  refuse 
his  friendship.  The  negroes  cannot  work  at  all  without 
their  quota  of  cigars ;  "  and  looking  out  of  the  windows  of  a 
room  in  that  magnificent  hotel  '  -£'/  Telegrafo^  the  writer 
remembers  to  have  caught  a  glimpse  more  than  once  of  the 
negro  women  at  work  in  the  laundry,  every  one  of  whom 
■^,-~f;^===i.  -^  .#7  -"r:.~.i'^  teld   a   long 


a  long  cigar  in 
her  mouth,  and  puffed 
incessantly  as  the 
clothes  were  manipu- 
lated upon  the  wash- 
boards." In  Havana, 
as  throughout  Cuba, 
there  is  a  cigar  eti- 
quette, to  infringe  any 
of  the  rules  of  which 
is  construed  as  an  in- 
sult. It  is,  for  instance 
considered  a  bieach 
of  etiquette  when  you 
are  asked  for  a  light 
to  hand  your  cigar  without  first  knocking  ofi"  the  ashes.  A 
greater  breach,  however,  is  to  pass  the  cigar  handed  for  you 


WENCHES    SMOKING. 


to  obtain  a  light  from,  to  a  third  party  for  a  similar  purpose ; 
the  rule  is  to  hand  back  the  cigar  with  as  graceful  a  wave  as 


CIGAR  ETIQUETTE. 


275 


you   Ccan   command,  and  then  if   necessary,  pass  your  own 
cigar  to  the  third  party. 

The  insult  direct  in  cigar  etiquette  is  for  the  party  to 
whom  you  apply  for  a  light,  to  pass  on  and  leave  you  with 
the  remains  of  his  cigar,  or  to  intimate  to  you,  by  word  or 
action,  that  he  has  no  further  use  for  it,  and  that  you  can 
throw  it  away.  In  Cuba,  where  cigars  are  plentiful,  the 
usual  custom  is,  when  you  ask  for  a  light,  even  if  the  party 
be  a  stranger,  to  pull  out  your  case  and  offer  him  a  cigar,  by 
way  of  recognizing  the  civility  in  stopping  to  accommodate 
you.  The  Spaniards  are  naturally  a  polite  people,  and  the 
stranger  stepping  into  the  Louvre  and  other  public  places  of 
resort  in  Havana,  is  struck  at  once  with  the  marked  contrast 
in  this  respect  to  familiar  gatherings  elsewhere.  In  no  place 
is  a  cigar  more  enjoyable  than  in  Havana.  Seated  upon 
the  roof  of  one  of  the  large  hotels  in  that  city  in  a  bright 
moonlight  night,  within  hearing  of  the  dreamy  roll  on  the 
beacb  :  the  regular  throb  of  the  sea,  lulling  one  into  quiet- 


A   UOUNLIGHT    REVERIE    IN    UAYANA. 


ness ;  the  sigh  of  the  summer  breeze  a  lullaby  to  the  senses ; 
•while  a  high-flavored  prime  cigar,  as  it  wastes  and  floats  away 


276  REVERIES. 

in  air,  is  the  fairy  wand  which  opens  the  enchanted  gates  of 
Reverie  and  Imagination. 

What  need  of  a  friend  under  such  soothing  circumstances  ? 
What  need  of  the  jolly  camarade  of  former  days  to  sigh  back 
sigh  for  sigh,  puff  for  puff,  and  wander  in  gentle  reminis- 
cences over  the  Lesbian  labyrinth  of  the  past,  when  Julia  was 
most  kind,  or  Cynthia,  darling  girl,  delighted  in  the  perfume 
of  a  capital  havana?  Here,  in  this  quaint  old  city  by  the 
Bea,  is  the  place  for  dreams  and  reveries  and  the  utter  render- 
ing of  one's  self  up — to  a  good  cigar.  Is  it  not  a  place  for 
reverie  ?  Has  not  one  with  this  most  respectable  weed,  this 
prime  havana,  the  concomitants  of  a  thousand  reveries  ?  Will 
not  one  puff  of  that  narcotic  breath  drowse  deep  all  watching 
dragons,  and  make  for  him  the  sleeping  beauties  of  his  will  ? 
And,  presto,  there  they  are  !  and,  oh  !  ye  houris  of  the  South, 
with  what  a  smile  and  glance  between  the  azure  puffs !  Well 
let  me  not  forget  myself.  With  a  sterner  morality  he  sees 
how  the  bending  Bedouin  fashions  his  pipe  in  the  moistened 
ground  ;  he  sees  the  slender  Indian  reed  with  the  flat  bowls 
of  Lahore  and  Oude,  the  pipe  of  the  Anglo-eyed  celestial, 
the  red  clay  of  Bengal,  and  the  glittering  gilded  cups  in  which 
the  dark-skinned  races  of  Siam,  the  Malacca  Isles,  and  the 
Phillippines,  love  to  enshrine  their  dreamy  opium-haunted 
spirits  of  the  weed.  He  sees  how  in  the  squatter's  hut  the 
old  squaw  sits  by  her  hunter  lord,  and  puffs  at  the  corn-cob 
sweetness,  and  how  by  lonely  ways  the  traveler  rests  and 
thinks  of  home,  and  in  the  blue  smoke  greets  once  more  the 
faces  of  the  loved,  perhaps  forever  gone.  He  sees  how  the 
Esquimaux,  with  his  hollow  Walrus-tooth,  jnakes  bearable 
the  stifling  squalor  of  his  den  ;  or,  sterner  and  graver  still, 
some  item  of  historic  lore  mingles  rudely  with  his  dreams, 
and  elbows  sharply  the  airy  spints  of  his  smoke-engendered 
thoughts.  Softly  tremble  in  the  delicate  bine  mist  and  the 
azure  spirals  from  his  old  Virginia  clay — the  domes  of  a  sea- 
bathed  city.  Loftily  pierce  the  tall  white  minarets  into  the 
quivering  heavens,  while  the  solemn  cypress  throws  its  shade 
below.     Before  him,  silent-paced  as  in  a  dream,  files  the 


SUMMER-DAY  THOUGHTS. 


277 


weird  array  of  Arab  camels,  bowing  their  long  necks  tufted 
with  crimson  braids,  and  measuring  the  brown  sands  of  the 
desert  with  ghost-like  tread.  'Tis  the  moon  of  Egypt  and 
the  waters  of  the  Nile  ;  'tis  the  palm-bough  waves  for  him ; 
and  women,  free-limbed,  with  flashing  eyes,  and  antique 
water- vases  on  their  heads,  move  past  him  from  the  low- 
rimmed  shadowy  wells.  And  he  sees  them  there  and  smiles. 
He  sees  on  the  beach  by  the  sea  the  summer  idler  sitting 
beneath  the  jutting  rock,  gazing  far  out  upon  the  sea,  yet 
ignoring  the  white  sails  that  pass  up  and  down  before  him,  as 


BY   THE    SEA. 


well  as  the  open  volume  upon  his  knee,  while  his  thoughts 
float  outward  and  upward  with  the  graceful  wreaths  of  smoke 
that  encircle  his  head ;  and  if  of  a  practical  turn,  he  listlessly 
wonders   why,   if  his   own  delightful  land  furnishes  some 


^78  AMERICAN  SMOKERS. 

twentieth  of  the  whole  Tobacco  produce  of  the  world,  and  does 
honor  to  her  native  weed  by  being  its  mightiest  consumer, 
why,  in  the  name  of  all  disasters,  the  product  is  so  dear — ay, 
doubly  dear  ?  And  thus  as  his  pipe  burns  low,  a  hundred 
other  statistics ;  then,  knocking  out  his  whitened  ashes  on 
the  floor,  he  reads  sedately  (his  pipe  being  out)  that  the  "  To- 
bacco plant  furnishes  ashes  to  the  amount  of  one-fourth  of 
its  bulk,  being  a  much  greater  proportion  than  that  of  any 
other  vegetable  product,"  and,  moreover,  that  "  Tobacco  ex- 
hausts the  soil  at  the  ratio  of  fourteen  tons  of  wheat  to  one 
of  Tobacco  !"  Oh,  base  insinuation  !  But,  as  he  relights  his 
pipe,  and  the  graceful  vapor  circles  in  fresh  buoyancy  and 
grace  before  him,  he  only,  in  his  contented  mind,  retains  that 
one  supreme  expression — "  One  ton  of  Tobacco  /"     Ah, 

"  Think  of  it,  picture  it 
Now,  if  you  can  !" 

From  "  A  Paper  of  Tobacco,"  *we  extract  the  following 
humorous  description  of  Yankee  cigar  smokers,  which  to  a 
certain  extent  is  true  to  life,  but  like  most  of  the  articles 
descriptive  of  American  life  by  English  Authors,  who  travel 
in  America  and  write  a  hook  afterwards,  it  is  exaggerated  or 
overdrawn : 

"  The  Americans,  who  pride  themselves  on  being  the  fast- 
est-going people  on  the  '  versal  globe ' — who  build  steamers 
that  can  out-paddle  the  sea-serpent  and  breed  horses  that  can 
trot  faster  than  an  ostrich  can  run — are,  undoubtedly,  enti- 
tled to  take  precedence  of  all  nations  as  consumers  of  the 
weed.  The  sedentary  Turk,  who  smokes  from  morn  to  night, 
does  not,  on  an  average,  get  through  so  mutjh  tobacco  per 
annum,  as  a  right  slick,  active,  go-ahead  Yankee,  who  thinks 
nothing,  'upon  his  own  relation,'  of  felling  a  wagon-load  of 
timber  before  breakfast,  or  of  cutting  down  a  couple  of  acres 
corn  before  dinner.  The  Americans,  it  is  to  be  observed,  gen- 
erally smoke  cigars ;  and  tobacco  in  this  form  burns  very  fast 
away  in  the  open  air,  more  especially  when  the  consumer  is 
rapidly  locomotive,  whether  upon  his  own  legs,  the  back  of 
a  horse,  the  top  of  a  ooach,  the  deck  of  a  steamboat,  or  in  an 
open  railway  carriage.     The  habit  of  chewing  tobacco  is  also 

*  London,  1839 


AT  HOME. 


279 


prevalent  in  *  the  States,'  nor  is  it,  as  in  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland,  almost  entirely  conlined  to  the  poorer  classes.  Mem- 
bers of  the  House  of  Representatives  and  of  the  Senate,  doc- 


AN   AMERICAN    SMOKZR. 


tors,  judges,  barristers,  and  attorneys  chew  tobacco  almost  as 
generally  as  the  laboring  classes  in  the  old  country.  Even  in 
a  court  of  justice,  more  especially  in  the  Western  States,  it  is 
no  unusual'  thing  to  see  judge,  jury,  and  the  gentlemen  of  the 
bar,  all  chewing  and  spitting  as  liberally  as  the  crew  of  a 
homeward-bound  West  Indiaman.  It  must  indeed  be  con- 
fessed that  Brother  Jonathan  loves  tobacco  '  not  wisely  but 
too  well,'  and  that  the  habits  which  are  induced  by  his  man- 
ner of  using  it  are  far  from  '  elegant.'  The  truth  is,  he  neither 
smokes  nor  chews  like  a  gentleman  ;  he  lives  in  a  land  of 
liberty,  and  takes  his  tobacco  when  and  where  he  pleases. 
He  spits  as  freely  as  he  smokes  and  chews — upon  the  carpet 
or  in  the  fire-place — for  he  is  not  particular  as  to  where  he 
squirts  his  copious  saliva,  and  does  not  think  with  the  late 
Dr.  Samuel  Parr,  that  a  spitting-box  is  a  necessary  article  of 
household  furniture.  The  free-born  citizen  of  the  States 
laughs  at  the  aristocratic  restrictions  imposed  on  smoking  in 
England,  where,  on  board  of  the  numerous  steamboats  that 


280  SENTIMENT. 

ply  on  tlie  Thames,  conveying  the  pride  of  the  city  to  Grave- 
send  and  Margate,  no  smoking  ia  allowed  abaft  the  funnel, 
and  where,  in  public-houses  ashore,  no  gentleman  is  permitted 
to  smoke  in  the  parlor  before  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
A  pipe  of  tobacco,  or  a  cigar,  after  a  day's  hard  exercise, 
•whether  mental  or  bodily,  and  after  the  cravings  of  hunger 
and  thirst  are  appeased,  may  be  fairly  ranked  amongst  the 
most  delightful  and  most  harmless  of  all  earthly  luxuries.   It 
fills  the  mind  with  pleasing  visions,  and  the  heart  with  kindly 
feelings.     A  hard-working  laborer,  smoking  by  the  side  of 
his  hearth  at  night,  presents  a  perfect  picture  of  quiet  enjoy- 
ment.    I  see  him  now  in  my  mind's  eye.     He  is  seated  in  an 
old  high-backed,  cushionless  arm-chair,  but  an  easy  one,  nev- 
ertheless, to  him,  who  from  dawn  till  sunset,  has  been  en- 
gaged in  ploughing,  thrashing,  ditching,  or  mowing.     With 
one  leg  thrown  over  the  other,  he  quietly  reclines  backward, 
and  with  an  expression  of  perfect  mental  composure,  he  gazes 
on  the  smoke  that  ascends  from  his  pipe.     There  is  a  senti- 
ment-exciting power*  in  the  smoke  of  tobacco  when  perceived 
by  the  eye,  as  well  as  a  pleasing  sedative  eflect  when  inhaled  ; 
and  those  smokers  who  have  any  donbt  of  the  fact  should 
take  a  pipe  with  their  eyes  closed.     A  person  who  smokes 
with  his  eyes  shut  cannot  very  well  tell  whether  his  cigar  is 
lighted  or  not.     How  soothing  is  a  pipe  or  a  cigar  to  a  wearied 
sportsman,  on  his  return  to  his  inn  from  the  moors  !     As  he 
sits  quietly  smoking,  he  thinks  of  the  absent  friends  whom 
he  will  gratify  with  presents  of  grouse ;  and,  in  a  state  of  per- 
fect contentment  with  himself  and  all  the  world,  he  deter- 
mines to  give  all  his  game  away.     Full  of  such  kindly  feel- 
ings, he  retires  to  bed ;  but,  alas,  with  day-light,  when  the 
eflect  of  the  tobacco  has  subsided,  the  old  leaven  of  selfishness 
prevails,  and  his  good  intentions  are  abandoned.     '  Mary,' 
said  an  old  Cumberland  farmer  to  his  daughter,  when  she 
was  once  asking  him  to  buy  her  a  new  beaver,  '  why  dost 
thou  always  tease  me  about  such  things  when  I'm  quietly 
smoking  my  pipe  V     '  Because  ye  are  always  best-tempered 
then,  feyther,'  was  the  reply.     '  I  believe,  lass,  thou's  reet,' 
rejoined  the  farmer  ;  '  for  when  I  was  a  lad,  I  remember  that 
my  poor  feyther  was  just  the  same  ;  after  he  had  smoked  a 
pipe  or  twee  he  wad  lia'  gi'en  his  head  away  if  it  had  been 
loose.' " 


*  The  smoke  ascending  from  the  annff  of  a  eandle  could  excite  a  eeDttmental  feeling  la 
the  minds  of  Wordaworth  and  Sir  George  Beaumont,  thougii  it  seems  to  have  had  no  such 
eflect  on  the  mind  of  Crabbe.— XociAari's  Li/e  of  Sir  Walter  Scott. 


ODE  TO  A  CIGAR.  281 

The  following  ode  to  a  Cigar  is  no  doubt  familiar  to  many, 
yet  will  pay  a  re-perusal : 

"  And  oft,  mild  friend,  to  me  thou  art 
A  monitor,  though  still ; 
Thou  speak'st  a  lesson  to  my  heart 
Beyond  the  preacher's  skill. 

*'  Thou'rt  like  the  man  of  worth,  who  gives 
To  goodness  every  day. 
The  odor  of  whose  virtues  lives 
When  he  has  passed  away. 

"  When  in  the  lonely  evening  hour, 
Attended  but  by  thee. 
O'er  history's  varied  page  I  pore, 
Man's  fate  in  thine  I  see. 

"  Oft,  as  thy  snowy  column  grows. 
Then  breaks  and  falls  away, 
I  trace  how  mighty  realms  thus  rose, 
Thus  trembled  to  decay. 

"  Awhile,  like  thee,  earth's  masters  burn, 
And  smoke  and  fume  around. 
And  then  like  thee  to  ashes  turn. 
And  mingle  with  the  ground. 

"  Life's  but  a  leaf  adroitly  rolled, 
And  time's  the  wasting  breath, 
That,  late  or  early,  we  behold 
Gives  all  to  dusty  death. 

*'  From  beggar's  frieze  to  monarch's  robe 
One  common  doom  is  passed ; 
Sweet  nature's  work,  the  swelling  globe. 
Must  all  burn  out  at  last. 

"  And  what  is  he  who  smokes  thee  now  ? 
A  little  moving  heap. 
That  soon,  like  thee,  to  fate  must  bow, 
With  thee  in  dust  must  sleep. 

"  But  though  thy  ashes  downward  go, 
Thy  essence  rolls  on  high ; 
Thus,  when  my  body  must  lie  low, 
My  soul  shall  cleave  the  sky." 

In  Charles  Butler's  "  Story  of  Count  Bismarck's  Life,"  a 
good  anecdote  is  told  of  the  Count  and  his  last  cigar: — 


282 


CIGAR  LIGHTERS. 


" '  The  value  of  a  good  cigar,'  said  Bismarck,  as  he  pro- 
ceeded to  light  an  excellent  Havana,  'is  best  understood 
•when  it  is  the  last  you  possess,  and  there  is  no  chance  of  get- 
ting another.  At  KoniggrJitz  I  had  only  one  cigar  left  in 
my  pocket,  which  I  carefully  guarded  during  the  whole  of 
the  battle  as  a  miser  does  his  treasure.  I  did  not  feel  justi- 
fied in  using  it.  I  painted  in  glowing  colors  in  my  mind  the 
happy  hour  when  I  should  enjoy  it  after  the  victory.  But  I 
had  miscalculated  my  chances.'  '  And  what  was  the  cause  of 
your  miscalculation V  'A  poor  dragoon.  He  lay  helpless, 
with  both  arms  crushed,  murmuring  for  something  to  refresh 
him.  I  felt  in  my  pockets  and  found  I  had  only  gold,  and 
that  would  be  of  no  use  to  him.  But,  stay,  I  had  still  my 
treasured  cigar !  I  lighted  this  for  him,  and  placed  it  be- 
tween his  teeth.  You  should  have  seen  the  poor  fellow's 
grateful  smile !  1  never  enjoyed  a  cigar  so  much  as  that  one 
which  I  did  not  smoke.' " 

In  European  cities  juveniles  offer  the  smoker,  at  every 
Btreet  corner,  a  "pipe"  or  a  " cigar  light."  The  following 
description,  entitled  "  Light,  Sir,"  is  from  an  English  journal, 

and  contains  much  in- 
teresting information 
on  the  various  modes 
of  lighting  pipes  and 
cigars. 

""Ere  y'are,  sir — 
pipe-light,  cigar-light, 
on'y  'ap'ny  a  box — 
'ave  a  light,  sir.'  Ev- 
ery smoker  of  the 
larger  cities  knows 
the  cry.  Every  ten- 
der-hearted smoker  is 
familiar  with  the  ap- 
peal, by  day  and  by 
night,  and  remembers 
pangs  of  regret  he  has 
felt  when  the  want 
of  ha'  pence  or  the  re- 
pletion of  his  match-box  has  prevented  his  much-besought 
response.  There  is  no  need  now  to  enlarge  upon  the  sutter- 
ings,  the  adventures,  the  dangers  of  these  peripatetic  juvenile 
trades  folk,  sparse  of   clothes  and  food,   and  full  of   the 


"light,  sir." 


SMOKING  AN  ART.  283 

material  which  may  make  or  mar  a  nation ;  for  all  this  was 
done,  and  even  overdone,  by  the  graphic  sensationalists  of 
the  London  penny  dailies  when  Chancellor  Lowe  proposed 
a  tax  on  matches.  We  may,  upon  occasion,  feel  for  the 
manufacturers  and  venders  of  'lights,'  but  more  generally 
we  find  ourselves  constrained  to  sympathize  with  the  pur- 
chasers of  such  contrivances  for  the  ignition  of  pipes  and 
cigars.  The  smoking  of  tobacco  is  an  art ;  an  art  which,  in 
its  proper  exercise,  requires  much  care,  much  prudence,  and 
not  a  little  skill.  This  is  a  proposition  which  must,  from  its 
very  nature,  be  startling  to  non-smokers,  and  surprising  to 
many  smokers.  The  tobacco  hater  (invariably  an  illogical 
creature,  who  hates  that  which  he  knows  not)  will  hold  up 
hands  in  amazement,  and  sniff  with  the  nose  in  contempt,  to 
whom  reply  would  be  superfluous. 

"With  the  smoker  the  case  is  otherwise.  A  German 
writer  recently  said  that  the  English  were  better  smokers 
than  the  Germans ;  because,  whereas  the  German  smoked 
incessantly,  without  rule,  system,  or  moderation,  the  English 
smoked  with  care,  with  slow  and  appreciative  lovingness,  and 
the  determination  not  to  overstep  the  bounds  of  rational  enjoy- 
ment. Had  he  known  more  of  English  smokers,  he  would 
not  have  made  so  wild  a  statement ;  and  had  he  known  Eng- 
lish women  better,  he  would  never  have  attributed  to  their 
Bweet  influence  the  fancied  superiority  he  describes  in  Eng- 
lish as  compared  with  German  smoking.  In  truth,  the  art 
of  tobacco  using  is  nowhere  more  ignored,  nowhere  more 
contemptuously  neglected  than  in  these  '  favored  isles.'  For 
one  man  who  smokes  with  a  reason,  for  a  purpose,  or  by 
system,  you  shall  find  a  thousand  who  smoke  without  either ; 
and  the  result  is  that  those  who  smoke  have  little  defense,  in 
the  general  way,  for  their  practice,  while  those  who  condemn 
the  habit  have  far  better  grounds  for  their  opposition  than 
they  have  ever  yet  been  able  to  explain.  To  those  who  do 
know  why  they  use  tobacco,  it  is  well-nigh  incredible  that  so 
many  of  their  fellow-smokers  should  be  ignorant  of  the 
properties,  the  uses,  the  abuses,  of  the  weed  they  burn  and 
the  fumes  in  which  they  delight.  Yet,  even  this  is  not  so 
surprising  as  the  fact  that  so  few  of  those  who  smoke — 
smoke  much,  often  and  constantly — should  be  ignorant  of, 
or  indifferent  to,  the  conditions  which  are  necessary  to  their 
own  adequate  enjoyment  of  the  weed. 

"  You  will  see  a  man  light  a  cigar  so  carelessly  that  one 
side  of  the  roll  will  burn  rapidly,  with  prodigious  fumigation 


284  SCIENCE  OF  LIGHTING. 

and  giving  out  a  dark  and  offensive  cloud,  "while  the  other 
eide  remains  untouched  by  the  fire,  only  to  wither  and  crackle 
and  twist  into  uncouth  shapes,  until  the  smoker  flings  the 
cigar  away,  with  an  accompaniment  of  expletives  which 
attach  rather  to  his  own  stupidity  than  to  the  piece  of  to- 
bacco he  has  so  abominably  abused.  You  will  see  another 
with  a  good  pipe,  laden  with  good  tobacco,  well  lit,  blowing 
incessantly  down  the  mouth-piece  and  the  stem  until  the 
moisture  introduced  with  his  breath  into  the  bowl  of  his 
pipe  effectually  prevents  the  tobacco  from  burning,  and  puts 
out  the  fire ;  and  then  you  will  hear  him  lament  that  he 
should  have  paid  so  good  a  price  for  a  pipe  so  bad  that  it 

*  fouls'  before  he  has  smoked  a  single  hour.  You  will  see 
another  who,  while  he  talks  to  his  friends,  allows  his  tobacco 
to  go  out  every  three  or  four  minutes,  so  that  at  length  his 
mouth  is  sore  and  his  palate  nauseated  with  the  combined 
fumes  of  lucifer  matches,  burnt  paper  and  exhausted  tobacco 
dust ;  and  he  inveighs  against  the  '  cabbage-leaf  which  that 
rascally  tobacconist  sold  him  for  good  Shag  or  Cavendish.* 
Another  knows  so  little  of  the  art  of  smoking  that  he  never 

*  stops'  his  pipe,  and  so  allows  the  light  dust  of  the  burnt 
weed  to  fly  about  him  in  flakes  and  minute  particles,  to  the 
permanent  damage  of  his  own  and  his  neighbors'  clothes. 
But  in  nothing  is  the  inartistic  character  of  English  smoking 
so  conspicuously  exemplified  as  in  the  use  of  'lights.'  Those 
who  form  the  great  majority  of  smokers  amongst  the  Eng- 
lish-speaking races  seem  to  consider  that,  so  long  as  their 
pipes  are  set  alight,  it  matters  not  how  or  from  what  source 
the  light  is  obtained.  Thus,  one  will  place  his  pipe-bowl  in 
a  flame  of  gas,  and  pull  away  at  the  stem  till  his  tobacco  is 
on  flre ;  another  will  thrust  the  bowl  into  the  midst  of  a  coal 
fire,  and  when  he  sees  a  glow  in  the  bowl  withdraw  it,  and 
contentedly  puff  away ;  another  stops  an  ol)liging  policeman 
or  railway  guard,  and  ignites  his  tobacco  by  hard  pulling  at 
the  flame  of  an  oil-lamp ;  another  will  stick  the  end  of  a 
choice  cigar  into  the  bowl  of  a  pipe  filled  with  coarsest  Shag, 
thus  ruining  the  flavor  of  his  'prime  Havana'  forever;  while 
yet  another  will  light  lucifer  matches,  and  apply  the  blazing 
brimstone  to  his  pipe  or  cigar,  thus  saturating  the  wliole 
mass  with  sulphurous  and  phosphoretic  fumes,  to  the  ruin  of 
the  weed  and  the  injury  of  his  own  health. 

"  How  much  wiser  the  West  Indian  negro,  who  takes  a 
burning  stick  from  the  wood  fire,  and  tenderly  lights  his 
weed  therewith,  or  joyfully  brings  a  handful  of  the  white-hot 


AGE  OF  FUSEES. 


285 


ashes  in  his  thick-skinned  palm,  that  *massa'  may  fire  his 
cigar !  Or  the  travelling  peddler  or  tinker,  who,  as  he  sits 
by  the  way-side,  patiently  wooes  the  sun  with  a  '  burning- 
glass  '  till  his  tobacco  ignites,  or  nses  with  equal  prudence 
and  skill  the  ancient  but  inimitable  tinder-box. 

" But  this  is  the  age  of  Fusees.     What  a  name!     "When, 
in  our  youth,  those  longitudinal  strips  of  tinder,  serai-divided 


BRINGING    A    LIGHT. 


into  innumerable  transverse  slips,  all  tipped  with  harmless, 
ignitable  matter,  first  assumed  the  title,  we  had  little  notion 
of  the  atrocities  which  would  come  to  be  dignified  by  their 
name.  This  was  soon  after  the  world  had  been  delighted  by 
the  Congreves,  which  drove  Lucifer  to  the  wall,  and  before 
English  and  German  ingenuity  had  taught  us  to  find  'death' 
in  the  box,  as  well  as  '  the  pot.'  The  innocent  old  fusee  had 
his  faults,  certainly.  He  would  not  always  light ;  he  had  a 
bad  habit  of  turning  back  on  your  finger-nail  and  burning  its 
quick  when  you  struck  him  ;  and  he  would  occasionally  light 
up,  all  by  himself,  and  set  fire  to  fifty  of  his  fellows  in  your 
waist-coast  pocket,  or  the  tail  of  your  best  dress-coat.  (Those 
were  the  days  when  waist-coats  were  gorgeous  and  tail-coats 
immense.)  But  what  were  these  peccadilloes  compared  with 
the  sins  of  the  modern  'cigar-light?'  'Fusees,'  forsooth! 
More  like  bomb-shells,  military  mines,  torpedoes,  and  nitro- 
glycerine trains.    Who  has  not  had  them  explode  in  his  eye. 


286  FLAMERS. 

on  liis  cheek,  down  his  neck,  scarring  his  skin,  burning  holes 
in  his  coats  and  trousers,  frightening  passers-by,  and  doing 
all  manner  of  deep-dyed  devilment  ?  Nor  is  this  the  worst. 
Those  who  will  trust  their  skins,  and  their  eyes,  and  their 
clothes  to  '  Vesuvians,'  '  Flamers,'  and  the  like,  are  not  to  be 
pitied ;  for  they  are  more  cruel  to  their  tobacco  than  the 
fusees  are  to  them.  Our  grievance  is  that  so  many  engines 
of  destructiveness  and  otfensiveness  should  be  so  largely 
patronized  by  smokers,  to  their  own  discomfort,  the  ruination 
of  their  tobacco,  the  scandalization  of  gentle  and  simple,  and 
the  encouragement  of  vicious  manufactures.  Now,  we  are 
not  going  to  particularize  too  closely,  for  fear  of  conse- 
quences. In  these  days,  when  a  man  may  bring  an  action 
for  libel  because  it  has  been  said  of  him  that  he  sells  bad 
soup  at  a  railway  station,  prudence  is  the  better  part  of  valor. 
But,  just  examine  this  heterogeneous  pile  of  '  cigar-lights,' 
which  rears  its  audacious  head  upon  the  table.  Here  are 
Palmers,  Barbers,  Farmers,  Lord  Lornes,  Tichbornes,  Bry- 
ants and  Moys,  Bells  and  Blacks,  Alexandres,  Bismarcks, 
King  Williams,  Napoleons,  and  scores  of  other  varieties. 
Some  light  'only  on  the  box,'  some  light  anywhere,  some 
everywhere,  and  some  nowhere.  Some  are  on  wood,  some 
on  porcelain,  some  on  glass,  some  on  dire  deeds  intent. 
There  are  vestas,  safety -matches,  patent  fiint-and-steel  con- 
trivances, with  silver  tubes  and  marvellous  screws  wherewith 
to  put  them  out  when  they  have  served  your  turn.  Some 
are  excellent,  many  passable,  still  more  intolerable.  One  of 
these  times  it  may  be  worth  while  to  speak  of  the  good  ones, 
but  at  present  we  care  only  to  treat  of  those  that  are  bad, 
and  that  briefly. 

"Here's  a  'Flamer' — we  name  no  names — everybody 
eeems  to  make  flamers;  and  this  one  deserves  his  title.  We 
want  to  light  a  peaceful  pipe,  and  he  bursts  out  in  a  fury 
like  unto  nothing  on  earth  so  much  as  Etna  in  convulsion, 
or  the  Tuilleries  in  petroleum  blaze.  But,  if  -you  have  any 
respect  for  your  tobacco,  your  lips,  .your  nostrils,  or  your 
lungs,  you  will  let  him  get  rid  of  his  flames  before  you  apply 
him  to  your  cigar ;  and,  when  you  do  venture  so  far,  he 
drops  off  the  stick  and  burns  a  hole  in  the  carpet.  Or,  if 
you  be  daring  enough  to  take  a  light  from  the  flamer  while 
he  flames,  you  spoil  your  tobacco,  foul  your  mouth,  and  get 
a  taste  of  sulphur-suffocation  such  as  Asniodeus  might  have 
were  he  to  take  a  whiff  of  a  smoke-and  Are  belching  chimney 
in  the  Black  Country  as  he  flies  across  that  district  by  night. 


"HOME-MADE   CIGARS."  287 

Haven't  got  a  light  ?  Glad  of  it.  Try  a  Vesnvian-round, 
black  and  tipped  with  blue.  There's  a  pyrotechnic  display 
for  you!  Now,  in  with  it,  after  the  approved  style  illus- 
trated by  the  two  human  hands  engaged  in  lighting  a  cigar 
on  the  illuminated  cover  of  the  box.  '  Ugh !'  you  say.  Just 
60  ;  you've  got  a  mouthful  of  choice  abominations,  which  will 
cost  you  much  waste  of  saliva,  several  shivers,  and  the  whole 
piece  of  tobacco  you  were  about  to  enjoy.  Here,  put  that 
away  ;  take  another,  light  it  quietly  with  this  wax-vesta,  or 
this  wooden  '  spill,'  or  this  screw  of  paper ;  smoke  gently, 
don't  let  the  fire  out,  and  you'll  be  all  right.  In  future,  you 
may  be  wise  enough  to  avoid  cheap  cigar-lights  and  pipe- 
lights,  even  for  use  in  the  streets.  Our  word  upon  it — they 
are  far  dearer  than  those  which  cost  more." 

The  following  description  of  "  Home  Made  Cigars "  is 
from  All  the  Year  Rounds  and  will  doubtless  be  read  with 
interest  by  many  growers  of  the  weed  who  may  recall  sim- 
ilar scenes : 

"  '  Apropos  of  cigars,'  said  "Wilkins,  lighting  a  second  fra- 
grant Havana  with  the  stump  of  the  first,  '  let's  go  and  see  the 
farmer's  establishment  for  making  them.  You  see  that  field 
of  tobacco  over  yonder  ?  Old  Standish  raises  his  own  weed, 
dries  it  in  the  big  open  sheds  behind  the  barn,  cures  it — I 
don't  quite  know  the  whole  process — and  then  has  it  made 
into  sixes  and  short  fives.  Conchas  and  Cabanas,  like  a 
Cuban  seiior.  I  went  over  the  establishment  about  a  year 
ago,  and  it  is  worth  seeing.' 

"  We  strolled  first  over  to  the  tobacco  field.  The  weed  was 
then  just  at  its  full  ripeness,  and  the  long,  flappy,  delicately- 
furred  green  leaves  bent  gracefully  over  toward  the  ground, 
growing  smaller  and  smaller  the  higher  they  were  on  the 
stout  stalk.  Few  foreigners  know  that  even  as  far  north  as 
New  England,  in  the  sunny  valleys  of  Connecticut,  sheltered 
as  they  are  from  the  bleak  east  winds  of  the  Atlantic 
and  accustomed  to  a  long  and  steady  summer  heat,  to- 
bacco is  grown  in  large  quantities,  flourishes  exuberantly, 
and  is  one  of  the  chief  sources  of  profit  to  the  farmers.  It 
needs  a  rich  warm  soil  and  careful  tending  ;  but  it  gives  in 
its  growth,  a  sentimental  reward  to  the  cultivator;  for  it 
comes  up  gracefully,  rapidly,  and  beautifully,  and  is  with 
Borae  care,  one  of  the  most  satisfactory  crops  to  '  handle." 
Having  gazed  at  and  tasted  the  thick  leaves,  we  sauntered 
behind  the  barn,  and  there  saw  the  long  open  shed,  with 


288 


FEMALE  CIGAR-MAKERS. 


beams  running  parallel  from  end  to  end,  where  the  gathered 
tobacco  leaves  were  hung  to  be  thoroughly  dried  by  the  sun. 
"Then  Wilkhis  conducted  lis  for  some  distance  along  the 
river  bank ;  we  jumped  into  a  boat  and  rowed  perhaps  half 
a  mile,  landing  by  the  side  of  a  little  shop-like  building, 
where  we  heard  the  hum  of  voices  and  the  commotion  of 
many  busy  persons.  We  entered  and  found  ourselves  in  a 
long,  low  room,  having  wide  tables  ranged  along  the 
walls  ;  here,   working  rapidly,  were  rows  of  chatty  country 


MAKING   CIGARS. 


girls,  who,  as  they  worked,  laughed  and  talked,  and  now 
and  then  hummed  a  verse  of  some  familiar  ballad. 
Neatly  packed  piles  of  the  dried  and  cured  leaf  lay  upon 
the  table  before  them. 

"Each  was  armed  with  knives  and  cutters,  and  we  watched 
the  quick  transformation  of  the  flat  leaves  into  the  smooth 
and  compact  cigars.  The  tobacco  grown  upon  the  farm  was, 
we  discovered,  only  used  as  wrappers  for  the  cigars.  The 
good  farmer  imported,  for  the  interior  filling,  a  fine  tobacco 
from  Havana.  Strips  and  little  pieces  of  this  the  girls 
placed  in  the  centre  of  the  cigar,  wrapping  the  Connecticut 
tobacco  in  wide  strips  tightly  about  it,  then  pasting  each  of 
tlie  last  with  some  paste  in  a  pot  by  their  side.  It  seemed  to 
be  done  almost  in  an  instant ;   the  Havana  slips  were  laid 


A  SPICY  ARTICLE.  289 

down,  cut  and  trimmed,  and  pressed  into  shape  in  a  twink- 
ling; the  wrappers  were  cut  as  quickly  ;  and,  more  rapidly 
than  I  can  describe  it,  the  cigar  was  made.  These  girls 
wei'e  mostly  daughters  of  neighljoring  farmers,  who  received 
•60  much  per  hundred  cigars  made  ;  intelligent,  bright-eyed 
and  witty ;  many  of  them  comely,  with  rosy  cheeks  and 
ruddy  health ;  educated  at  the  connnon  schools,  and  able, 
their  day's  work  over,  to  sit  down  at  the  piano  and  rattle 
away  ad  infinitum. 

"  His  stock  of  cigars  thus  made  up,  from  the  first  sowing 
to  the  last  finishing  touch,  the  good  squire  (being  Yankee- 
like, a  sort  of  Jack  of-all-trades,)  would  have  them  put  up  in 
gorgeously  labeled  boxes,  carry  them  to  town,  and  sell  them 
to  retail  dealers ;  not  disdaining  himself,  twice  or  thrice  a 
year,  to  go  through  the  neighboring  States  with  samples, 
and  acting  as  his  own  commercial  traveler." 

This  description,  however,  may  not  convey  a  correct  idea 
of  the  exact  mode  of  manufacture  to  many  growers  of  to- 
bacco in  the  Connecticut  Valley  inasmuch  as  many  planters 
of  the  "  weed  "  make  the  entire  cigar  (more  particularly  for 
their  own  use)  wrapper,  binder  and  filler  wholly  of  seed- 
leaf  tobacco,  such  cigars  do  not  readily  sell  to  the  trade 
except  at  inferior  prices  which  admit  of  but  a  small  profit  to 
the  manufacturer.  The  following  spicy  article  from  the 
"London  Figaro  "  may  be  interesting  to  all  smokers  as  well 
as  guide  them  in  the  selection  of  a  good  cigar. 

"I  am  an  imaginative  person,  and  'society 'has  treated 
me  shamefully  of  late — its  tangible  delights  are  absent  from 
me.  Allow  me,  then,  to  console  myself  by  the  '  creations  of 
smoke,'  as  Lord  Lytton  puts  it.  I  am  scouted  by  society 
because  I  am  in  love.     I  am  told  I  look  : 

"As  hyenas  in  love  are  supposed  to  look,  or 
A  something  between  Abelard  and  old  Blilcher." 

And,  moreover,  I  am  an  ugly  man,  but  there  was 
only  a  fortnight's  difiference  in  gaining  a  woman's  love 
between  John  Wilkes  and  the  handsomest  man  in  Eng- 
land, courage,  Jehu !  I  like  idleness,  because  it  shows 
that  one  can  afford  it ;  so  I  am  pufiing  idly — ah  !  the  balmy 
fragrance  of  this  mild  Havana  !  'Oh  !  the  eflfect  of  that  first 
note  from  the  woman  one  loves !'  says  one;  'Oh!  the  kiss 
on  the  dimpled  cheek,  the  sound  of  the  silv^er  voice !'  says 
19 


290  HOW  TO  SMOKE. 

another;  but  what  can  compare  to  the  dreamy  exquisite 
luxury  of  a  good  cigar  ?  But,  heavens,  what  am  I  saying  ?  I 
am  in  love,  and  Julia  reads  the  "  Figaro  !"  The  paleness  of 
Flaxman's  illustrations  spreads  over  me — please,  reader,  look 
upon  the  sentiment  as  sarcastic.  I  am  in  a  fog  of  smoke, 
and  am  quaffing  claret  from  the  silvered  pewter.  There's 
plenty  of  it;  and  no  soul  can  say  : 

"That  in  drinking  from  that  beaker 
I  am  sipping  like  a  fly.' 

How  changed  from  the  long,  long  days  ago,  when  I  was  a 
connoisseur  in  Parparillo  cigars,  brown-paper  cigarettes,  and 
cane  cheroots !  Then  I  fondly  adored  Sir  Walter  Raleigh 
as  my  earthly  idol,  for  giving  me  tobacco — when  I  had  the 
halfpence  to  buy  it — and  delighted  in  the  story,  told  by 
queer  Oldys,  of  Sir  Walter's  servant  extinguishing  the  Vir- 
ginny  smoke  that  issued  from  his  master's  lips,  by  drenching 
him  with  ale.  Alas!  my  idol  is  shattered  by  Hawkins.  The 
Spaniards  say,  '  The  lie  that  lasts  for  half  an  liour  is  worth 
telling.'  History  has  lied  for  longer,  by  a  considerable  period. 
Fond  even  as  I  was  of  my  brown-papered  cigarettes  when 
baccy  failed,  I  must  confess  I  never  reached  the  stage  attained 
by  Sir  Christopher  Haydon's  chaplain,  William  Breedon, 
parson  of  Thornton,  in  Bucks,  who  was  so  given  to 

"  October  store  and  best  Virginia," 

that  when  he  had  no  tobacco  (and  too  much  drink)  he  used 
to  cut  the  hell-ropes  and  smoke  them  ? 


"  The  Polyglot — three  parts — my  text ; 
Howbeit — likewise — now  to  my  next." 


"  On  Smoke. — It  is  a  vulgar,  ludicrous,  and  foolish  custom 
to  bite  oif  the  nose  of  a  cigar.  Don't  be  a  Vandal — you  are 
not  a  Sandwich  Islander,  about  to  chew  your  Kava.  A  cigar 
should  be  handled  daintily ;  it  is  a  fragile,  graceful  creature 
— don't  mar  its  beauty.  Tear  off  the  twist,  and  the  pleasure 
of  smoking  is  at  an  end  !  The  outer  leaf  becomes  untwirled. 
Ere  it  is  half  finished,  you  have  a  ragged  end  between  j^our 
lips — nasty,  foul,  and  unsightly — through  which  the  smoke 
comes  in  huge  clouds  to  your  mouth,  instead  of  slender 
streams  on  the  palate.  'How,  then,'  say  you;  'prick  it,  or 
cut  it,  or  what?'  Tear  it  not,  cut  it  not ;  nor  yet  puncture 
it.  Don't  be  frightened  of  the  cigar — thrusting  a  half-inch 
alone  into  the  mouth  ;  but,  when  you  begin,  take  a  good 
half  of  it  in  the  mouth  ;  pull  at  it  lustily  for  a  few  seconds, 


DRINKING  AND  SMOKING.  291 

to  open  its  pores ;  then  draw  it  out,  allowing  but  an  inch  to 
be  held  Avitliin  the  lips — believe  me,  you  will  enjoy  it  a  hun- 
dred-fold more ;  and  there  are  but  few  cigars  that  will  not 
allow  of  their  virtue  being  drawn  though  their  leaves.  Never 
bite  the  end  oft",  and  never  use  your  cigar  cruelly,  by  squeez- 
ing it,  biting  it,  or  re-lightiug  it.  Cigar-holders,  tubes,  quills, 
and  such  like  inventions,  we  despise.  If  you  cannot  bear  the 
cigar  in  your  mouth — aye,  and  enjoy  it — you  have  no  busi- 
ness with  it :  go  back  to  your  brown  paper  and  cane  ! 

"  What  is  the  best  beverage  to  imbibe  whilst  inhaling  the 
precious  weed  ?  Momentous  question !  Coffee,  or  claret, 
says  Jehu.  I  do  not  believe  in  bitter,  as  an  accom- 
panying liquid  to  a  cigar.  The  Corporation  of  Christ-church, 
years  ago,  smoked  cigars,  and  drank  with  them  that  then 
famous  concoction  known  as  *  Ringwood  Beer.'  What  was 
the  result  ?  The  first  toast  at  every  civic  banquet  held  for 
years  in  that  borough  was  gravely  given  out,  and  bumpered 
with  due  solemnity,  as  follows  : — 

'  Prosperation  to  this  Corporation.' 

Brandy  is  a  perfect  antidote  to  inebriation  from  beer,  so  we 
are  told.  The  Corporation  should  have  known  this,  and 
been  awakened  from  their  long  and  pleasant  dream  of  ^^ros- 
peration.  Brandy  I  should  hardly  reckon  amongst  the  drinks 
that  ought  to  be  with  cigars,  notwithstanding  that  Tennyson 
has  asked  : — 

'For  what  delights  can  equal  those 
Which  stir,  with  spirits,  inner  depths  ?  &c.' 

Brandy-and-water,  gin,  whisky,  and  the  likes  are  only  fit  for 
those  who  nocturnally  lay  the  foundation  for  matutinal  '  hot 
coppers,'  with  the  vilest  shag  in  the  most  odorous  of  yards 
of  clay.  '  Smoking  leads  to  drinking,'  has  been  a  favorite 
old  woman's  saying  for  time  out  of  mind.  How  I  hate  old 
women's  sayings  !  A  grain — requiring  to  i)e  picked  out  with 
a  pin  and  microscope — of  truth,  with  a  bushel  of  bunkum  or 
cant.  How  is  it,  that  ever  since  the  days  of  James  I,  of 
*■  hateful  to  the  nose,  harmful  to  the  brain '  memory,  there 
have  always  been  carpers  on  the  injurious  effects  of  smok- 
ing? 'Nicotine!'  they  say,  with  a  would-be-taken-for-know- 
all-about-it-air.  Quite  so  ;  but,  as  recent  investigations  have 
proved  that,  so  f\ir  as  the  actual  '  poisoning '  is  concerned,  it 
would  take  upwards  of  a  thousand  years  to  kill  the  most 
inveterate  of  healthy  smokers,  we  have  still  time  to  breathe — 
and  '  it  please  the  pigs.'     Mem.  for  pijjers — French  tobacco 


292  SMOKING  CHRISTIANS. 

contains  the  greatest,  Turkish  the  least,  per-centage  of  nico- 
tine.    Havana,  two  and  one-half  per  cent. 

"  But  an  unique  old  woman  of  Jehu's  acquaintance  goes 
further  still ;  boldly  asserting  that  '  smoking  is  well  for  mak- 
ing good  soldiers,  well  for  making  good  sailors,  well  for 
making  sometimes  good  law^yers  ;  not  so  well  for  making 
good  Christians.'  Oh  !  ashes  of  Hawkins  and  Raleigh,  shud- 
der for  the  results  of  '  baccy  on  degraded  human  nature.' 
There  must  be  a  rarity  of  good  Christians,  then  amongst  the 
parsons ;  they  are  all  fond  of  it.  Dean  Aldrich  was,  per- 
haps, the  greatest  smoker  of  his  day.  His  excessive  attach- 
ment to  this  habit  was  the  cause  of  many  wagers.  Here's 
one  : — At  breakfast,  one  morning,  at  the  '  Varsity,  an  under- 
graduate laid  his  companion  long  odds  that  the  Dean  was 
smoking  at  that  instant.  Away  they  hastened  ;  and,  being 
admitted  to  the  Dean's  study,  stated  the  occasion  of  their 
visit.  The  Dean  replied,  in  perfect  good  humor,  to  the  layer 
of  the  bet,  'You  see,  sir,  you  have  lost  your  w-ager;  for  I 
am  not  smoking,  but  filling  my  pipe.'  But — my  cigar  has 
reached  its  last  dying  speech,  and  there  is  but  a  drop  left  in 
the  beaker. 

*  I'll  not  leave  thee,  thou  lone  drop  ! 
'Twould  be  mighty  unkind, 
Since  the  rest  I  have  swallow'd, 
To  leave  thee  behind.' 

"Final  exhortation.  Choose  the  small,  sound,  tolerably 
firm,  and  elastic  cigar:  the  dwarf  contains  stuff  within  which 
the  giant  hath  not.  Don't  flatter  yourself  you're  smoking 
cabbage,  if  not  tobacco — its  any  odds  on  rhubarb ! 

'  For  me  there's  nothing  new  or  rare, 

Till  wine  deceives  my  brain ; 
And  that,  I  think,  's  a  reason  fair 
To  fill  my  pipe  again.'  " 

Charles  Lamb,  "  the  gentle  Elia  "  was  during  a  portion  of 
his  lifetime  a  famous  smoker.  In  a  letter .  to  Hazlitt  he 
writes,  "  I  am  so  smoky  with  last  night's  ten  pipes,  that  I 
must  leave  off."  It  is  said  that  he  smoked  only  the  coarsest 
and  strongest  he  could  procure.  Dr.  Parr  inquired  of  him 
how  he  acquired  his  "  prodigious  smoking  powers."  "  I 
toiled  after  it,  sir,"  was  the  reply,  "  as  some  men  toil  after 
virtue  !"  Lamb  was  constant  in  his  use  of  tobacco,  and 
among  all  the  great  luminaries  of  English  literature  we  know 
of  none  more  addicted  to  the  use  of  the  pipe.  Lamb  might 
often  be  seen  in  his  chambers  in  Mitre  Court  Building,  puff- 
ing the  coarsest  weed  from  a  long  clay  pipe,  in  company  with 


LAMB'S  POEM.  ggig 

Parr  who  used  the  finest  kind  of  tobacco  in  a  pipe  half  filled 
with  salt.  It  was  no  easy  task  to  relinquish  tlie  use  of  tobacco 
and  it  cost  him  many  a  struggle  and  much  determined  eflbrt. 
In  writing  to  Wordsworth  he  says : — "  I  wish  you  may  think 
this  a  handsome  farewell  to  my '  Friendly  Traitress.'  Tobacco 
has  been  my  evening  comfort  and  my  morning  curse  for 
these  five  years.  I  have  had  it  in  my  head  to  do  it  (Fare- 
well to  Tobacco)  these  two  years ;  but  tobaqco  stood  in  its 
own  light  when  it  gave  me  headaches  that  prevented  my 
einging  its  praises." 

Lamb's  poem  is  without  doubt  one  of  the  finest  pieces  of 
verse  ever  written  on  tobacco,  and  seemingly  contains  both 
words  of  praise  and  dispraise — the  latter  however  ia  some 
sense  are  insincere. 

"  May  the  Babylonish  curse 
Straight  confound  my  stammering  verae 
If  I  can  a  passage  see 
In  this  word-perplexity, 
Or  a  fit  expression  find, 
Or  a  language  to  my  mind, 
(Still  the  phrase  is  wide  or  scant,) 
To  take  leave  of  thee,  GREAT  PLANT! 
Or  in  my  terms  relate 
Half  my  love,  or  half  my  hate  ; 
For  I  hate,  yet  love  thee  so, 
That  whichever  thing  I  show, 
The  plain  truth  will  seem  to  be 
A  constrain'd  hyperbole, 
And  the  passion  to  proceed 
More  from  a  mistress  than  a  weed. 
Sooty  retainer  to  the  vine, 
Bacchus'  black  servant,  negro  fine ; 
Sorcerer,  thou  mak'st  us  dote  upon 
Thy  begrimed  complexion, 
And  for  thy  pernicious  sake, 
More  and  greater  oaths  to  break 
Than  reclaimed  lovers  take 
'Gainst  women  :  thou  thy  siege  do'st  lay 
Much  too  in  the  female  way, 
"While  thou  suck'st  the  lab'ring  breath 
Faster  than  kisses  or  than  death. 
Thou  in  such  a  cloud  do'st  bind  us. 
That  our  worst  foes  cannot  find  us. 
And  ill  fortune  that  would  thwart  ua, 


294  LAMB'S  POEM. 


Shoots  at  rovers  shooting  at  us ; 
While  each  man  through  thy  height'ning  steam 
Does  like  a  smoking  jEtna  seem, 
And  all  about  us  does  express 
(Fancy  and  wit  in  richest  dress) 
A  Sicilian  fruitfulness. 
Thou  though  such  a  mist  dost  show  us 
That  our  best  friends  do  not  know  us, 
And  for  those  allowed  features 
Due  to  reasonable  creatures, 
Liken'st  us  to  feel  Chimeras 
Monsters  that,  who  see  us,  fear  us; 
Worse  than  Cerberus  or  Geryon, 
Or,  who  first  loved  a  cloud,  Ixion. 
Bacchus  we  know,  and  we  allow, 
His  tipsy  rites,  but  what  art  thou, 
That  but  by  reflex  canst  show  _ 

What  his  deity  can  do. 
As  the  false  Egyptian  spell 
Aped  the  true  Hebrew  miracle? 
Some  few  vapors  thou  may'st  raise. 
The  weak  brain  may  serve  to  amaze, 
But  to  the  reins  and  nobler  heart 
Canst  nor  life  nor  heat  impart. 
Brother  of  Bacchus,  later  born, 
The  old  world  was  sure  forlorn, 
Wanting  thee,  that  aidest  more. 
The  gods'  victories  than  before 
All  his  panthers,  and  the  brawls, 
Of  his  piping  Bacchanals. 
These,  as  stole,  we  disallow 
Or  judge  of  thee  meant :  only  thou 
His  true  Indian  conquest  art ; 
And,  for  ivy  round  his  dart. 
The  reformed  god  now  weaves 
A  finer  thyrsus  of  thy  leaves. 
Scent  to  match  thy  rich  perfume — 
Chemic  art  did  ne'er  presume. 
Through  her  quaint  alembic  strain, 
None  so  sov'reign  to  the  brain. 
Nature,  that  did  in  thee  excel. 
Framed  again  no  second  smell. 
Roses,  Violets  but  toys 
For  the  smaller  sort  of  boys ; 
Or  for  greener  damsels  meant; 
Thou  art  the  only  manly  scent. 


LAMB'S  POEM.  295 

Stinking'st  of  the  stinking  kind, 
Filth  of  the  mouth  and  fog  of  the  mind, 
Africa,  that  brags  her  fois  on 
Breeds  no  such  prodigious  poison, 
Henbane,  nightshade,  both  together, 

Hemlock,  aconite 

Nay,  rather, 
Plant  divine  of  rarest  virtue : 
Blisters  on  the  tongue  would  hurt  you. 
'Twas  but  in  a  sort  I  blamed  thee; 
None  e'er  prospered  who  defiimed  thee ; 
Irony  all,  and  feigned  abuse. 
Such  as  perplex'd  lovers  use. 
At  a  need,  when  in  despair, 
To  paint  forth  their  fairest  fair. 
Or  in  part  but  to  express 
That  exceeding  comeliness 
Which  their  fancies  doth  so  strike, 
They  borrow  language  of  dislike; 
And  instead  of  Dearest  Miss, 
Jewel,  Honey,  Sweetheart,  Bliss, 
And  those  forms  of  old  admiring, 
Call  her  Cockatrice  and  Siren, 
Basilisk,  and  all  that's  evil. 
Witch,  Hyena,  Mermaid,  devil, 
Ethiop,  Wench,  and  Blackamoor, 
Monkey,  Ape,  and  twenty  more ; 
Friendly  traitress,  loving  foe. 
Not  that  she  is  truly  so. 
But  no  other  may  they  know, 
A  contentment  to  express, 
Borders  so  upon  excess, 
That  they  do  not  rightly  wot, 
Whether  it  be  pain  or  not ; 
Or,  as  men  constrained  to  part 
With  what's  nearest  to  their  heart, 
While  their  sorrow's  at  the  height 
Lose  discrimination  quite. 
And  their  hasty  wrath  let  fall. 
To  oppose  their  frantic  gall, 
On  the  darling  thing  whatever 
Whence  they  feel  it  death  to  sever. 
Though  it  be,  as  they,  perforce, 
Guiltless  of  the  sad  divorce. 
For  I  must  (nor  let  it  grieve  thee, 
Friendliest  of  plants. 


.296  TOBACCO  COMPLIMENT. 

That  I  must)  leave  thee. 
For  thy  sake,  TOBACCO,  I 
Would  do  anything  but  die, 
And  but  seek  to  extend  my  daya 
Long  enough  to  sing  thy  praise. 
But  as  she  who  once  hath  been, 
A  king's  consort,  ia  a  queen 
Ever  after,  nor  will  bate 
Any  title  of  her  state, 
Though  a  widow,  or  divorced, 
So  I,  from  thy  converse  forced, 
The  old  name  and  style  retain, 
A  right  Katherine  of  Spain, 
And  a  seat,  too,  'mongst  the  joys 
Of  the  blest  Tobacco  Boys  ; 
Where,  though  I,  by  sour  physician. 
Am  debarred  the  full  fruition 
Of  thy  favors,  I  may  catch. 
Some  collateral  sweets,  and  snatch, 
Sidelong  odors,  that  give  life 
Like  glances  from  a  neighbor's  wife ; 
And  still  live  in  the  by-places. 
And  the  suburbs  of  thy  graces  ; 
And  in  thy  borders  take  delight. 
An  unconquered  Canaanite." 

Thomas  Jones,  in  the  following  neat  little  tribute  to  to- 
bacco, pays  a  deserved  compliment,  not  only  to  the  plant, 
but  to  the  great  English  smoker,  "  ye  renowned  Sir  Walter 
Kaleigh." 

"  Let  poets  rhyme  of  what  they  will, 
Youth,  Beauty,  Love  or  Glory,  still 

My  theme  shall  be  Tobacco ! 
Hail,  weed,  eclipsing  every  flow'r. 
Of  thee  I  fain  would  make  my  bow'r 
When  fortune  frowns,  or  tempests  low'r. 
Mild  comforter  of  woe ! 

"  They  say  in  truth  an  angel's  foot 
First  brought  to  life  thy  precious  root, 

The  source  of  every  pleasure  ! 
Descending  from  the  skies  he  press'd 
With  hallow'd  touch  Earth's  yielding  breast, 
Forth  sprang  the  plant,  and  then  was  bless'd, 

As  man's  chief  treasure ! 


CIGARETTE  SMOKING.  29T. 

"  Throughout  the  worhl  who  knows  thee  not  ? 
Of  palace  and  of  lowly  cot 

The  universal  guest; 
Tlie  friend  of  Gentile,  Turk  and  Jew, 
To  all  a  stay — to  none  untrue, 
The  balm  that  can  our  ills  subdue, 

And  soothe  us  into  rest. 

"  With  thee  the  poor  man  can  abide 
Oppression,  want,  the  scorn  of  pride, 

The  curse  of  penury, 
Companion  of  his  lonely  state, 
He  is  no  longer  desolate. 
And  still  can  brave  an  adverse  fate, 

With  honest  worth  and  thee  ! 

"  All  honor  to  the  patriot  bold, 

Who  brought  instead  of  promised  gold. 

Thy  leaf  to  Britain's  shore; 

It  cost  him  life ;    but  thou  shall  raise 

A  cloud  of  fragrance  to  his  praise. 

And  bards  shall  hail  in  deathless  laya 

The  valiant  knight  of  yore. 

"  Ay,  Raleigh !  thou  wilt  live  till  Time 
Shall  ring  his  last  oblivious  chime. 

The  fruitful  theme  of  story ; 
And  man  in  ages  hence  shall  tell. 
How  greatness,  virtue,  wisdom  fell. 
When  England  sounded  out  thy  knell. 

And  dimmed  her  ancient  glory. 

"  And  thou,  O  Plant !  shall  keep  his  name 
Unwither'd  in  the  scroll  of  fame, 

And  teach  us  to  remember; 
He  gave  with  thee  content  and  peace, 
Bestow'd  on  life  a  longer  lease. 
And  bidding  ev'ry  trouble  cease. 

Made  Summer  of  December  !" 

The  smoker  of  cigarettes  is  passionately  attached  to  his 
"little  roll"  and  regards  this  mode  of  obtaining  the  flavor  of 
tobacco  the  best.  The  finest  are  made  in  Havana  and,  vast 
quantities  are  used  by  the  Cubans  and  Spaniards.  A  writer 
in  "  The  Tobacco  Plant "  gives  this  pleasing  effusion  in  regard 
to  them : — 

"  Your  cigarette  is  a  sort  of  hybrid — half-j)ipe  and  half- 
cigar;  neither  the  one  nor  the  other;  neither  the  delight  of 


298  BREVITY  AND  SWEETNESS. 

the  epicure  nor  the  solace  of  the  true  tobacco-lover.  Far  be 
it  from  us  to  deny,  or  even  to  question,  its  value,  its  utility, 
or  its  charm.  We  have  smoked  too  many  to  dream  of  treat- 
ing them  with  scorn — cigarettes  of  Virginia  shag,  strong, 
pungent,  luscious ;  of  light  and  fragrant  Persian,  innocuous 
and  soothing;  cigarettes  rolled  by  ladies'  dainty  fingers, 
compressed  by  elegant  French  machines  of  silk  and  silver, 
cut,  stamped,  and  gummed  by  prosy,  matter-of-fact,  and  even 
vulgar  Titanic  engines  in  great  tobacco-factories.  But  the 
thorough-paced  smoker  renders  to  his  cigarette  only  a  sec- 
ondary and  diluted  adoration :  it  is  nice,  it  is  delicate,  it  is 
pretty — a  thing  to  be  toyed  with,  to  be  fondled,  even  to  burn 
one's  fingers  (or,  perchance,  one's  lips)  withal ;  but  by  no 
means  an  object  to  call  forth  a  passion. 

"But  just  as  the  world  would  be  a  tame  and  an  insipid 
institution  were  all  men's  tastes  alike,  so  the  world  of  smok- 
ers would  lose  much  of  its  romance  were  all  the  lovers  of 
the  weed  of  temperament  too  robust  to  love  a  cigarette. 
Brevity  and  sweetness  are  proverbially  held  to  constitute 
claims  upon  the  respect  and  admiration  of  the  voluptuous, 
and  to  the  cigarette  these  cannot  be  denied.  There  is  some- 
thing touching  in  the  self-abnegation  of  a  tobaccoite  who  will 
devote  five  mortal  minutes  and  the  sweat  of  his  refined  intel- 
ligence, with  the  skill  of  his  delicate  fingers,  to  the  prepara- 
tion of  a  tiny  capsule  of  the  weed,  M^hich  burns  itself  to  ashes 
in  five  minutes  more.  There  is  a  butterfly-beauty  about  the 
cigarette  to  which  the  cigar  and  the  pipe  can  lay  no  claim — a 
summer  charm  to  stir  the  dreamy  rapture  of  a  poet,  and  to 
excite  the  Lotus-eating  philosopher  even  to  analogy.  Just 
as  the  suns,  and  flowers,  and  balmy  zephyrs  of  a  century  have 
gone  to  form  the  gauzy,  multi-colored  insect  that  flits  across 
your  path  throughout  a  single  summer's  day,  and  then  returns 
to  dust  and  vapor,  so  the  harvest  of  West-Indian  and  East- 
Asian  fields,  the  long  voyage  of  the  mariner,, the  merchant's 
hours  of  soil,  the  steam-power  and  manual  labor  of  the  fac- 
tory, the  thoughtful  calculations  of  the  trader,  the  skill  of  the 
tissue-paper  maker,  all  have  gone,  and  more  than  these,  to 
the  creation  of  a  fairy-cylinder  of  Tobacco,  which  glows, 
delights,  expires,  and  meets  its  end  in  ten  or  fifteen  fleeting 
minutes.*' 

Although  the  cigarette  is  not  a  favorite  with  us,  still  we 
admire  its  use  as  a  sort  of  appendage  to  a  good  dinner,  and 
as  preparatory  work  for  a  "  good  smoke."  The  Spaniards 
have  always  been  great  lovers  of  their  minute  rolls,  and  with 


THOMAS  nOOD'S  "  CIGAR."  299 

them,  no  other  method  of  burning  tobacco  appears  so  delicate 
or  refined.  Especially  is  this  true  among  the  ladies,  who 
prefer  "Seville  cigarettes"  to  all  others.  Many  smokers 
make  their  own  cigarettes,  sometimes  using  Havana  tobacco, 
and  sometimes  making  them  of  two  or  more  kinds.  An 
excellent  cigar  is  made  by  using  equal  parts  of  Virginia  and 
Perique  tobacco,  or  equal  parts  of  Havana  and  Perique.  A 
fine  flavored  cigarette  is  also  made  from  Yara  and  Havana 
tobacco,  equal  parts  of  each  being  used.  Thos.  Hood  has 
signalized  his  attachment  to  cigar  in  the  following  pleasing 
little  poem : — 

THE  CIGAR. 

"  Some  sigh  for  this  and  that, 
My  wishes  don't  go  far  ; 
The  world  may  wag  at  will, 
So  I  have  my  cigar. 

"  Some  fret  themselves  to  death 
With  Whig  and  Tory  jar ; 
I  don't  care  which  is  in, 
So  I  have  my  cigar, 

"  Sir  John  requests  my  vote, 
And  so  does  Mr.  Marr ; 
I  don't  care  how  it  does. 
So  I  have  my  cigar. 

"  Some  want  a  German  row, 
Some  wish  a  Russian  war; 
I  care  not.     I'm  at  peace, 
So  I  have  my  cigar. 

"  I  never  see  the  Post, 
I  seldom  read  the  Star  ; 
The  Globe  I  scarcely  heed, 
So  I  have  my  cigar. 

"Honors  have  come  to  men 
My  juniors  at  the  Bar ; 
No  matter — I  can  wait, 
So  I  have  my  cigar. 

"  Ambition  frets  me  not ; 
A  cab  or  glory's  car 
Are  just  the  same  to  me, 
So  I  have  my  cigar. 


300  LORD  BYROX'S  OPINION. 

"  I  worship  no  vain  gods, 

But  serve  the  household  Lar ; 
I'm  sure  to  be  at  home, 
So  I  have  my  cigar. 

"  I  do  not  seek  for  fame, 
A  General  with  a  scar; 
A  private  let  me  be, 
So  I  have  my  cigar. 

"  To  have  my  choice  among 
The  toys  of  life's  bazar. 
The  deuce  may  take  them  all, 
So  I  have  my  cigar. 

"  Some  minds  are  often  tost 
By  tempests  like  a  tar; 
I  always  seem  in  port. 
So  I  have  my  cigar. 

"  The  ardent  flame  of  love 
My  bosom  cannot  char, ' 
I  smoke  but  do  not  burn, 
So  I  have  my  cigar. 

"  They  tell  me  Nancy  Low 

Has  married  Mr.  R. ; 

The  jilt !  but  I  can  live, 

So  I  have  my  cigar." 

Lord  Byron,  a  "good  smoker"  as  well  as  a  great  poet,  has 
immortalized  his  love  of  the  cigar  in  the  following  graceful 
lines : — 

"  Sublime  Tobacco !  which  from  east  to  west, 
Cheers  the  tars  labors,  and  the  Turkman's  rest — 
Which  on  the  Moslem's  ottoman  divides 
His  hours,  and  rivals  opium  and  his  brides ; 
Magnificent  in  Stamboul,  but  less  grand. 
Though  not  less  loved  in  Wapping  or  the  Strand ; 
Divine  in  hookhas,  glorious  in  a  pipe. 
When  tipped  with  amber,  mellow,  rich,  and  ripe. 
Like  other  charms,  wooing  the  caress 
More  dazzingly  when  dawning  in  full  dress. 
Yet  thy  true  lovers  more  admire  by  far 
Thy  naked  beauties — Give  me  a  Cigar !" 


KINDS  OF  CIGARS. 


301 


Having  given  a  general  description  of  the  cigar  and  its 
mode  of  manufacture,  we  come  now  to  a  more  particular 
account  of  the  various  kinds  known  as  the  best  and  of  world- 
wide reputation.  Standing  at  the  head  of  the  various  kinds 
of  cigars,  either  of  the  Old  or  New  World,  are  those  known 
to  all  smokers  as : 

HAVANA    CIGARS. 

These  are,  by  common  consent,  the  finest  in  the  world. 
They  possess  every  quality  desirable  in  a  cigar,  and  seem- 
ingly to  its  greatest  extent.  Grown  in  the  richest  portion 
of  the  tropical  world,  the  leaf  has  a  rich,  oily  appearance, 
and,  when  made  into  cigars,  possesses  a  flavor  as  rich  as  it  is 
rare.  Unlike  most  tobaccos  suitable  for  cigars,  every  taste 
can  be  met  in  the  Havana  cigars,  its  many  varieties  of  flavor 
and  strength  suiting  it  alike  to  both  sexes,  and  to  the  making 
of  the  delicate  cigarette  or  the  largest  Cabanas.  These  cigars 
are  made  up  of  all  the  various  colors  and  parts  of  the  leaf, 


and  also  of  all  sizes  common  to  the  trade.  In  shape  they 
are  usually  round,  though  sometimes  pressed  (flat),  and  in 
color  are  (according  to  our  description)  light  and  dark  brown, 
light  and  dark  red,  straw  colored  and  dark  straw  colored,  and 
some  other  shades  or  strengths.  It  is  necessary  to  have  all 
the  various  shades  of  color  in  order  to  meet  the  demand  for 
the  various  flavors  desired.  Without  doubt  a  greater  variety 
of  flavors  can  be  found  among  Havana  cigars  than  in  any 
other  kind,  owing  to  the  many  shades  of  color,  which  deter- 
mines the  strength  and  flavor  of  the  cigar.     The  Havana 


g02  '  SELECTING  CIGARS. 

cigar  is  made  of  a  leaf  tobacco  well  knowfi  for  its  good  burn- 
ing qualities,  when  properly  cured  and  sweated, — burning 
with  a  clear,  steady  light,  leaving  a  fine  white  or  pearl-colored 
ash,  according  to  the  color  chosen.  These  cigars  rarely 
*'  char "  in  burning ;  certainly  not,  if  made  of  good  quality 
of  tobacco  and  thoroughly  sweat.  If  a  full-flav^ored  cigar  is 
desired,  choose  the  dark  colors,  and  the  lighter  if  a  mild 
cigar  is  preferable.  The  lighter  the  color  of  the  tobacco  the 
lighter  the  ash  and  the  milder  the  flavor  of  the  cigar„  Light- 
colored  cigars  usually  burn  freer  and  more  evenly  than  dark 
ones.  In  selecting  a  cigar  for  its  good  burning  qualities, 
choose  those  (if  such  are  to  be  had)  covered  with  white 
specks,  or  white  rust;  such  cigars  burn  well,  as. white  rust  is 
found  only  on  well-ripened  leaves.  Select  a  firm,  well-made 
cigar — one  that  contains  a  good  quantity  of  fillers — avoiding, 
however,  in  Havana  cigars,  one  made  too  nicely,  as  it  is  some- 
times the  case  that  superior  external  appearance  is  made  to 
cover  defects  in  tlie  more  important  qualities. 

Such  a  selection  will  insure  a  cigar  of  good  quality ;  one 
that  will  hold  fire  and  last  the  length  of  time  appropriate  to 
its  size.  A  cigar  should  not  be  chosen  simply  because  it  is 
made  well,  and  neither  because  its  outside  appearance 
(wrapper)  is  fine,  both  in  color  and  quality  of  leaf  ;  rather 
depend  upon  the  manufacture  of  the  brand.  Havana  cigars 
have  as  many  distinct  flavors  as  there  are  colors  of  the  leaf, 
ranging  from  very  mild  to  verj-  strong. 

The  first  great  requisite  of  a  cigar  is  its  burning  quality, 
and  the  second  its  flavor ;  without  the  first  the  latter  is  of 
little  value.  A  cifjar  made  from  leaf  that  does  not  burn 
freely  will  not  possess  any  desirable  flavor,  but  will  char  and 
emit  rank-smelling  smoke,  without  any  desirable  feature 
whatever.  When  both  of  these  qualities  are  in  a  measure 
perfect  the  cigar  will  prove  to  be  good.  There  are  two 
varieties,  at  least,  known  as  non-burning  tobacco,  of  which 
we  shall  speak  hereafter.  The  flavor  and  burning  quality  of 
a  cigar  always  determine  its  character,  and  are  found  in  per- 
fection in  those  made  of  fine  even-colored  leaf.     Dark  cigars 


YAK  A  CIGARS. 


303 


have  a  thicker  leaf  or  more  body,  and  consequently  are 
stronger  than  light-colored  cigars.  "When  the  cigar  is  made 
of  line,  well-sweat  tobacco,  and  contains  the  full  quantity  of 
fillers,  the  pellet  of  ashes  will  be  firm  and  strong,  and  should 
possess  the  same  color  all  through,  if  the  filler,  binder  and 
wrapper  are  of  the  same  shade  of  color.  The  finest-flavored 
cigars  are  those  of  a  medium  shade,  between  a  light  and  a 
dark  brown, — not  so  dark  as  to  be  of  strong,  rank  taste,  or 
so  mild  as  to  be  deficient  in  a  decided  tobacco  flavor,  but 
simply  possessing  sufticient  strength  to  give  character  to  the 
cigar. 

YAKA  CIGAKS. 

This  variety  of  cigars  is  made  from  tobacco  grown  on  the 
Island  of  Cuba,  bearing  the  same  name  as  the  cigars.  They 
are  highly  esteemed  by  those  who  smoke  only  this  kind,  but 
are  not  liked  by  most  smokers  of  Havana  cigars.  Most  of 
them  are  exported  to  Europe,  very  few  of  them  finding  their 
way  to  this  country.  It  is  somewhat  diflicult  to  compare 
them  with  Havana  cigars,  as  the  flavor  is  essentiallv  different. 


YARA    CIGARS. 


In  comparison  with  other  brands  made  upon  the  Island,  the 
Yara  holds  an  unimportant  place,  yet,  in  some  parts  of  Cuba, 
it  is  preferred  to  any  other  kind.  In  London  the  Yara  is  a 
favorite  with  many  old  smokers,  who  use  no  others.  Old 
smokers  describe  the  Yara  cigar  as  having  a  "sweet"  flavor, 
but  one  unaccustomed  to  them,  like  Hazard  and  others,  pro- 
nounce them  bitter,  and  having  a  "  peculiar  saline  taste."  It 
can,  doubtless,  be  said  with  truth  concerning  the  Yara  cigar, 


304 


MANILLA  CIGAKS. 


that  unlike  other  varieties,  such  as  Havana,  Manilla,  Para- 
guayan, Swiss  and  Brazil,  the  taste  for  them  is  not  natural, 
but,  when  once  formed,  becomes  very  decided.  As  a  general 
rule  smokers  of  Yara  cigars  think  other  kinds  are  deficient 
in  flavor,  and  are  wanting  in  quality,  because  they  lack  the 
peculiar  flavor  belonging  only  to  Yara  cigars.  Be  this  as  it 
may,  we  hardly  think  the  Yara  cigar  suited  to  the  cigarist's 
taste  at  the  present  time.  Its  aromatic  flavor  is  not  adapted 
to  the  general  taste,  and  some  little  time  is  required  to  de- 
velop a  decided  love  for  it.  "We  prefer  the  "  Cubas,"  made 
from  a  good  quality  of  leaf  grown  near  Trinidad,  Puerto- 
Principe,  and  other  cities  east  of  Havana.  The  peculiar 
flavor  of  Yara  cigars  is  owing  to  the  character  of  the  soil, 
rather  than  to  any  artificial  process  employed  in  manufactur- 
ing. In  moistening  Havana  leaf  Catalan  wine  is  used,  and 
other  flavoring  extracts.  This  may  (and  does)  change  the 
condition  and  quality  of  the  tobacco,  but  even  with  this 
treatment,  the  flavor  of  Yara  tobacco  would  be  unlike  that 
of  Havana  leaf. 

MANILLA  CIGARS. 

This  well-known  variety  of  cigars  is  manufactured  from 
Manilla  tobacco  grown  in  Luzerne,  one  of  the  Phillippine 
Islands,  which  is  known  as  superior  leaf  for  cigar  purposes. 
Manilla  cigars  have  an  extensive  reputation,  but  principally 
in  the  East  and  in  Europe.     These  cigars  are  made  in  various  \ 


MAXILLA    CIGAR   AND    CHEROOT. 


forms  and  shapes,  some  of  them  are  called  cheroots  (the  term 
used  in  the  East  for  cigars)  and  are  principally  known  for  their 
aromatic  flavor,  entirely  distinct  from  that  of  Havana  cigars. 


SWISS  CIGARS.  305 

Some  smokers  think  that  they  have  the  same  effect  as  varie- 
ties of  tobacco  that  have  been  moistened  with  the  juice  of 
the  poppy,  giving  the  cigar  a  flavor  like  that  of  opium,  and 
as  a  natural  result,  securing  a  light-colored  ash.  There  are 
not  as  many  colors  of  Manilla  cigars  as  there  are  of  Havana, 
and  they  are  not  as  closely  assorted.  Some  of  them  are  a 
high-cinnamon  color,  and  are  far  from  being  a  strong  cigar. 
Their  flavor  is  not  always  uniform,  and  is  not  denoted  by  the 
color  as  in  other  varieties.  The  flavor  is  not  unpleasant,  but 
is  better  suited  to  those  who  prefer  a  mild  rather  than  a  full 
flavored  cigar.  The  aroma  is  pleasant  and  mild,  and  to  those 
but  little  acquainted  with  them,  agreeable.  Manilla  tobacco 
usually  burns  well,  if  the  leaf  is  of  good  quality  and  well 
sweated,  still  it  is  known  as  a  non-burning  tobacco.  As  the 
tobacco  is  of  good  body,  the  cigars  do  not  usually  burn  as 
well  as  other  kinds.  Select  a  light-colored  rather  than  a 
dark  cigar  if  one  of  good  quality  is  desired.  Both  the  cigars 
and  cheroots  are  made  of  the  same  quality  of  leaf,  and  are  of 
about  the  same  size — differing,  however,  in  shape.  There 
are  but  few  grades  of  Manilla  cigars,  and  most  of  them  are 
solid  and  well  wrapped.  They  are  flat  rather  than  round, 
and  draw  well  but  do  not  hold  fire  like  some  other  cigars. 
The  leaf  makes  a  very  good  wrapper  for  a  tobacco  of  its 
thickness  and  strength. 

SWISS  CIGAKS. 

These  well-known  cigars  have  but  little  reputation  in  this 
country,  owing  to  the  fact  of  their  being  but  little  known. 
In  Europe  the  cigars  of  Luzerne  have  no  insignificant  repu- 
tation, and  are  generally  liked  by  smokers  who  prefer  a  mild 
and  agreeable  cigar.  These  cigars  are  usually  dark-colored, 
but  not  strong,  and  have  but  little  variety  of  flavor.  Travel- 
ers and  tourists  through  Switzerland  speak  of  Swiss  cigars  as 
being  of  agreeable  flavor,  and  unlike  any  other  found  in 
Europe.  With  American  tobacco,  those  of  a  dark  color  are 
usually  strong,  but  with  European  tobaccos  this  is  not  always 
the  case — they  possess  much  less  strength,  and  can  be  used 
20 


S06 


PARAGUAY  CiaARS. 


more  freelj  than  the  tobacco  of  America.  These  cigars  are 
"usually  pressed,  and  burn  well,  leaving  a  dark-colored  ash, 
and  emitting  a  fragrant  odor.  Most  of  those  used  in  this 
country  may  be  more  properly  termed  cheroots,  both  ends 


SWISS   CIGARS. 


being  cut,  allowing  a  free  passage  of  air,  which  is  usually  the 
case  with  all  kinds  of  cheroots,  or  Eastern  and  European 
cigars.  There  is  not  that  freshness  of  flavor  to  Swiss  cigars 
peculiar  to  Havana's,  and  they  lack  that  essential  quality 
which  renders  the  latter  so  delicious  and  enjoyable.  The 
Swiss  cigar  is  in  perfection  when  just  made  or  rolled,  and 
such  should  be  chosen  instead  of  those  that  have  been  made 
,f  or  some  time  and  closely  packed  and  dried. 

PAKAGUAY  CIGAES. 

These  cigars  are  made  of  one  of  the  finest  varieties  of  leaf 
tobacco  known  to  commerce.  Although  unknown  to  this 
country — both  the  cigars  and  the  leaf  tobacco  have  a  deserved 
reputation  in  Europe,  and  it  is  beyond  all  question  one  of  the 
finest  tobaccos  in  the  world  for  cigars.  These  cigars  have  a 
delicacy  of  flavor  unapproachable  in  any  other  variety,  and 
may  justly  be  termed  the  finest  at  least  of  all  South  Ameri- 
can cigars.     It  is  one  of  the  finest  burning  tobaccos  in  the 


PARAGUAY    CIGARS. 


•world,  and  does  not  fail  to  suit  the  taste  of  the  most  fastidi- 
ous of  smokers.  The  finest  are  of  dark  color  and  wholly 
free  from  any  rank  or  unpleasant  taste.  These  cigars  are 
uniformly  mild  and  have  but  little  variety  of  flavor,  the  ash 


BRAZILIAN  CIGARS.  307 

is  dark-colored,  firm  and  strong,  clinging  with  tenacity  to  the 
cigar,  which  is  the  best  evidence  of  the  quality  of  the  leaf. 
In  Paraguay  they  are  considered  superior  to  all  other  kinds 
and  are  smoked  continuously  without  any  seemingly  ill  effect. 
Page  alludes  to  the  custom  of  smoking  as  being  universal, 
*'Men,  women,  and  children — delicate,  refined  girls,  and 
youngsters  who  would  not  with  us  be  promoted  to  the  dignity 
of  pantaloons — smoke  with  a  gravity  and  gusto  that  is 
irresistibly  ludicrous  to  a  foreigner."  The  Paraguayans 
consider  excessive  smoking  of  other  tobacco  as  injurious  but 
not  of  the  delicate  flavored  leaf  of  Paraguay.  These  cigars 
are  rolled  firm  and  strong  usually  small  and  hold  fire  until 
the  entire  cigar  has  been  consumed. 

GUATEMALA  CIGARS. 

This  variety  of  cigars,  although  of  excellent  flavor,  is 
hardly  known  outside  of  Central  America.  They  are  made 
from  Guatemala  tobacco — one  of  the  few  varieties  of  tobacco 
bearing  white  blossoms,  and  possessed  of  a  similar  flavor  to 
Mexican  tobacco.  Although  Guatemala  tobacco  has  not 
been  thoroughly  tested  by  the  great  manufacturers  of  cigars 
either  in  Europe  or  America,  it  doubtless  is  well  suited  for 
cigars.  It  is  a  distinct  variety  from  those  kinds  bearing 
pink  and  yellow  blossoms,  and  its  growth  and  quality  would 
seem  to  suggest  some  doubt  as  to  its  quality  and  adaptability 
for  cigars.  Stephens  and  other  travelers  seem  to  regard  it 
as  tobacco  of  excellent  quality,  and  allude  to  its  constant 
use  by  the  ladies  who  smoke  puros^  a  cigar  made  of  a  single 
leaf,  or  formed  entirely  of  tobacco.  They  also  use  the  pape- 
lotes  wrapped  in  paper  and  sometimes  in  the  dried  leaf  of 
maize.  It  would  seem  probable  from  the  climate  of  Cen- 
tral America,  that  Guatemala  tobacco  would  be  exactly 
suited  for  the  manufacture  of  cigars,  but  so  little  is  known 
concerning  it,  and  its  cultivation  is  so  limited,  that  at  present 
it  is  simply  a  matter  of  conjecture. 

BRAZILIAN   CIGARS. 
<    The  cigars  of  Brazil,  like  those  made  of  South  American 


308  AMERICAN  CIGARS. 

tobacco,  are  noted  for  their  superior  flavor.  They  are  made 
of  "  Brazilian  Aromatic  "  one  of  the  finest  tobaccos  of  Brazil. 
Although  but  little  known  in  this  country,  both  the  tobacco 
and  the  cigars  are  highly  esteemed  in  Europe,  where  most  of 
the  leaf  is  sent.  Both  Brazilian  cigars  and  the  celebrated 
"Tauri  Cigarettes  "  possess  a  delicacy  of  flavor,  described  by 
travelers  as  unapproachable  by  any  other  variety  of  cigars  and 
cigarettes.  A  late  traveler  says  concerning  tliem  : — "  Accus- 
tomed to  smoke  only  Ilavjiiia  cigars,  I  ^^  as  unprepared  to  re- 
cognize any  others  as  being  worthy  even  ol'  the  name  of  cigars. 
I  was  presented  with  a  box  of  Brazilian  cigars  of  commend- 
able size  and  finish,  of  a  dark  color  and  of  a  good  flavor, 
before  trying  them,  I  ignited  one,  merely  to  test  their 
quality  and  not  from  any  impression  that  they  were  worth 
even  the  value  of  the  cheapest  Havanas.  Great  was  my  sur- 
prise to  find  them  of  an  agreeable  flavor  and  very  pleasant 
to  the  taste." 

The  leaf  is  very  thin,  and  without  doubt,  well  suited  for  a 
cigar  wrapper.  The  flavor  of  all  cigars  made  from  South 
American  tobacco  is  similar,  especially  those  made  from 
tobacco  grown  east  of  the  Andes.  A  writer,  alluding  to 
their  mode  of  manufacturing  cigars  for  their  own  use  says  : 

"  They  take  the  leaf  after  it  is  cured  and  ready  for  manu- 
facture into  cigars,  and  dampen  it,  not  with  pure  water  but 
with  water  containing  the  juice  of  the  poppy  so  as  to  pro- 
duce the  efiect  of  opium.  When  prepared  in  this  manner 
they  are  much  esteemed  by  the  Brazilians  and  especially 
by  the  herders." 

AMEKICAN  CIGAES. 

This  was  the  name  given  to  cigars  made  some  forty  or  fifty 
years  ago  composed  of  Connecticut  seed-leaf,  or  as  it  was 
then  called,  American  tobacco.  The  fillers  were  selected 
from  various  kinds  of  tobacco,  including  Virginia,  Kentucky, 
and  Spanish,  using  for  a  wrapper  Spanish,  American  or 
Maryland  leaf.  At  this  time  the  tobacco  was  not  sorted  as 
now,  and  was  made  up  into  cigars  after  being  stripped,  but 
the  cigars  after  being  manufactured  were  kept  for  some  time 
before  they  were  sold.  At  this  time  but  little  pains  compar- 
atively was  taken  in  their  manufacture:  they  were  not  as- 
sorted or  shaded  according  to  the  present  standard,  and  were 


CONNECTICUT  SEED  LEAF  AND  HAVANA  CIGARS.         309 

packed  in  chestnut  instead  of  cedar  boxes  containing  from 
one  to  five  hundred  cigars  each,  A  manufacturer  of  cigars 
nearly  fifty  years  ago  gives  the  following  account  of  his 
method  :  "  AVe  selected  for  wrappers  those  leaves  having 
white  specks  (white  rust)  upon  them,  which  greatly  in- 
creased the  sale  of  the  cigars,  and  which  were  considered  by 
smokers  to  be  much  better  than  those  not  wound  with  fancy- 
wrappers.  After  the  cigars  were  packed  in  the  boxes  a  little 
Spanish  bean  was  grated  upon  the  cigars,  or  a  single  bean  was 
placed  between  the  cigars  in  the  box."  At  this  time  some 
little  taste  was  evinced  for  colors,  and  cigars  of  a  "  bright  cin- 
namon red,"  and  afterwards,  of  a  dark  brown,  were  consid- 
ered the  finest,  while  leaf  that  was  black  was  considered 
worthless  for  wrappers.  A  kind  of  cigar  which  is  distinctly 
American  and  which  is  made  to  a  considerable  extent,  is 
called  a  seed  cigar,  and  is  made  from  tobacco  grown  in  Con- 
necticut, New  York,  Pennsylvania,  or  Ohio.  These  cigars 
have  but  little  reputation,  and  are  of  inferior  quality  and 
manufacture.  A  very  good  cigar,  call  a  "  sprig  cigar,"  is 
made  from  Havana  and  Connecticut  seed-leaf  filler  wound 
with  a  seed  wrapper  which  gives  a  good  flavor  similar  to 
clear  Havana. 

A  full  flavored  cigar  like  a  sip  of  rare  old  wine  is  inspir- 
ing to  a  lover  of  the  "  royal  plant "  and  amid  the  sublime 
and  companionable  thoughts  that  its  fragrance  engenders, 
one  is  led  oftentimes  to  reflect  on  its  rare  virtues  and  the 
benign  efiects  it  produces  wherever  known.  Thus  it  light- 
ens the  toil  of  the  weary  laborer  plodding  along  the  highway 
of  life.  The  student  poring  over  musty  tomes  sees  with  a 
clearer  perception  as  its  fragrance  accompanies  him  along 
the  pathway  of  science  and  of  history.  The  poet  "  as  those 
wreathes  up  go  "  sees  Helicon's  fresh  founts  flowing  clearer 
and  purer.  The  musician  "lord  of  sounds,"  evokes  tones 
from  his  instrument  never  before  heard  by  mortal  ear.  The 
warrior,  "  fresh  from  glory's  field  "  is  charmed  by  its  fra- 
grance as  he  dreams  of  shattered  battalions  and  sleeping 
hosts.     The  farmer  nurtured  amid  the  odors  of  the  "  bahny 


310  THE  EXILE'S  COMFORT. 

plant "  honors  the  "  useless  weed  "  as  a  promoter  of  happi- 
ness and  an  increaser  of  gains.     While : 

"  Kings  smoke  when  they  ruminate 
Over  grave  affairs  of  state." 

The  exile  too,  far  from  home  and  kindred  smokes  on  as 
he  muses  of  happier  hours  gone  never  to  return.  And  thus 
amid  all  the  varied  ranks  and  walks  of  life  this  solace  of  the 
mind  and  comfort  of  life  exhales  its  fragrance  and  breathes 
its  benedictions  over  all. 


CHAPTER  X. 

TOBACCO   PLANTEKS   AND   PLANTATIONS. 

HE  grounds  selected  for  the  cultivation  of  tobacco 
are  called  by  various  names  even  in  the  same  coun- 
tries. Thus  in  the  Connecticut  Valley,  such  lands 
are  called  tobacco  fields,  at  the  South  they  are  known 
as  tobacco  plantations, while  in  Cuba  they  are  called  Yegas 
or  tobacco  farms.  In  Cuba  almost  the  entire  tobacco  farm 
is  planted  to  tobacco  while  at  the  South  and  in  New  Eng- 
land this  is  rarely  the  case  unless  the  plantations  or  tobacco 
farms  are  small  and  contain  but  a  few  acres.  In  the  Connect- 
icut Valley  and  more  especially  along  the  banks  of  the 
Connecticut  River,  where  the  farms  are  frequently  small, 
this  is  sometimes  the  case  but  farther  removed  from  the 
river,  where  the  farms  are  much  larger  but  a  few  acres  of  the 
best  land  is  used  for  this  purpose. 

In  the  Connecticut  Valley  the  tobacco  fields  average  from 
one  to  forty  acres,  rarely  exceeding  the  latter  and  indeed 
seldom  including  as  large  an  area.  The  average  size  of 
tobacco  fields  is  about  five  acres — sometimes  all  in  one  lot 
but  oftener  divided  into  several  small  pieces  on  various  parts 
of  the  farm. 

The  Connecticut  planter  is  deeply  interested  in  the  plant 
and  gives  it  his  undivided  attention  from  seed-sowing  until 
it  is  sold  to  the  speculator  or  manufacturer.  All  other  crops 
in  his  opinion  are  of  but  little  importance  compared  with  the 
great  New  England  product,  one  crop  is  frequently  not  off 
his  hands  before  he  is  preparing  for  another.  The  Connecti- 
cut planter  stands  first  in  the  rank  of  tobacco  growers ;  he  is 

311 


312  THE  CONNECTICUT  PLANTER. 

thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  nature  of  the  plant  and  knows 
just  what  land  to  select  and  what  kind  of  fertilizers  to  apply. 
He  has  reduced  the  cultivation  to  almost  an  exact  science 
and  can  obtain  (the  season  being  favorable)  the  color  most 
desirable.  He  has  thoroughly  tested  all  kinds  of  fertilizers, 
and  knows  just  what  kinds  will  produce  the  various  shades 
of  color  as  well  as  the  desired  texture  and  size  of  leaf.  No 
other  tobacco  planter  so  thoroughly  understands  the  methods 
of  curing,  sweating  and  doing  up  the  crop,  and  he  takes  no 
little  pride  in  showing  his  crop  to  the  buyer. 
It  is  his  aim  to  obtain  not  only  the  best  leaf  for  a  cigar- wrap- 
per but  also  a  tobacco  of  the  finest  possible  flavor ;  hence  he 
tries  the  principal  varieties  grown  in  Cuba,  Brazil  and  other 
countries  in  order  to  judge  of  their  quality  and  whether  they 
can  be  cultivated  with  profit  on  his  lands.  He  has  the  best 
constructed  sheds  for  hanging  and  curing  and  the  latest  and 
most  improved  agricultural  implements  for  the  cultivation 
of  the  plants.  The  greatest  pains  are  taken  in  securing  the 
crop  and  harvesting  and  handling  the  plants  without  injur- 


CONNECTICTTT  TOBACCO   FIELD. 


ing  the  leaves.     The  tobacco  fields  are  kept  in  the  best  pos- 
sible condition,  no  weeds  or  grass  is  allowed  to  grow  and 


INTELLIGENCE  OF  TOBACCO  GROWERS.  313 

the  entire  surface  is  as  free  from  stones  as  a  lawn.  He 
nsTially,  if  his  farm  is  small,  plants  the  same  field  year  after 
year,  securing  a  much  liner  leaf  and  by  yearly  manuring 
keeping  the  ground  fertile  and  in  good  condition.  When 
the  tobacco  is  stripped  the  utmost  care  is  taken  to  assort  the 
leaves  and  he  frequently  shades  or  assorts  the  colors, 
obtaining  fancy  prices  for  such  "  selections." 

The  Connecticut  grower  is  well  acquainted  with  the  differ- 
ent soils,  and  is  able  to  judge  with  considerable  accuracy  in 
regard  to  selecting  the  right  fields  for  tobacco.  The  warmest 
land  is  chosen — mellow  and  free  from  stones  or  shaded  by 
trees  and  prepared  as  if  for  a  garden.  All  of  the  improved 
methods  of  obtaining  early  plants  as  well  as  transplanting, 
he  adopts,  and  in  spite  of  early  freezing,  is  generally  able  to 
outwit  Jack  Frost,  and  secure  the  plants  before  this  great  foe 
of  the  weed  ravages  the  fields.  It  may  safely  be  said  of  the 
Connecticut  planter  that  he  secures  more  even  crops  than  any 
other  grower  of  the  plant,  and  obtains  the  finest  colored  leaf 
for  cigar  wrappers. 

The  growers  are  thoroughly  informed  as  regards  the  prices, 
and  although  the  buyers  may  steal  suddenly  upon  them,  are 
generally  prepared  to  "  set "  a  price  upon  their  crops.  Some 
refuse  to  sell  on  the  poles,  or  even  after  it  is  stripped,  pre- 
ferring to  pack  their  tobacco  until  it  has  passed  through  the 
sweat,  when  larger  prices  are  obtained.  Many  growers  not 
only  pack  their  own  crop,  but  buy  up  that  of  others,  thus 
acting  as  both  producer  and  buyer.  During  the  growing  of 
the  crop,  and  particularly  after  it  has  been  cured  and  stripped, 
the  growers  congregate  together,  and  talk  over  the  condition 
of  the  crop  and  the  prices  likely  to  be  realized.  Sometimes 
they  form  an  association  or  club,  agreeing  to  "  hold  "  the 
tobacco  for  satisfactory  prices,  and  frequently  employing  an 
agent  to  sell  the  crop.  Many  of  the  tobacco  fields  or  farms 
in  the  Connecticut  valley  are  very  valuable,  especially  those 
near  large  cities  and  means  of  transportation  ;  such  lands 
often  selling  for  one  thousand  dollars  per  acre. 

The  finest  tobacco  lands   in   the   Connecticut  valley  are 


314  BEST  CONNECTICUT  TOBACCO  LANDS. 

located  in  the  vicinity  of  Hartford  about  fifty  miles  from 
Long  Island  Sound.  These  lands  are  near  enough  to  the 
sound  to  get  the  salts  in  the  atmosphere  from  the  south 
winds  that  blow  up  the  valley  in  the  precise  amount  which 
the  plant  needs.  Not  much  farther  north  does  the  atmos- 
phere possess  this  peculiar  quality,  while  lower  down  the 
river  the  salt  air  is  too  strong  for  the  plant,  and  the  leaves  in 
consequence  are  thick  and  harsh.  Fine  tobacco  leaves  can 
be  manufactured  as  well  as  fine  broadcloth  or  costly  silks. 
These  results  depend  in  a  great  manner  upon  the  proper  soil 
and  the  fertilizers,  applied  together  with  the  most  thorough 
cultivation  of  the  plants.  The  soil  of  our  best  Connecticut 
tobacco  fields  is  alluvial,  varying  in  composition  from  a  heavy- 
sandy  loam  to  a  light  one  containing  very  little  clay. 

For  the  past  few  years  light  soil  has  been  preferred  for 
the  tobacco  field,  on  account  of  the  demand  for  light  colored 
leaf.  The  soil  can  hardly  be  too  light  when  leaf  of  a  light 
cinnamon  color  is  desired  ;  as  the  color  of  all  kinds  of  tobacco 
depends  upon  the  soil  and  the  fertilizers  used. 

A  quarter  of  a  century  since  Havana  tobacco  commanded 
very  high  prices,  both  in  this  country  and  in  Europe.  It 
burnt  freely  and  purely.  The  Cuban  planters,  although  get- 
ting rich  on  the  ordinary  crops,  were  not  satisfied  with  their 
gains,  and  attempted  to  increase  their  crops  by  the  use  of 
guano  and  artificial  fertilizers.  They  secured  heavier  crops, 
but  the  quality  became  poorer.  The  prices  fell  off  and  the 
planters  did  not  realize  as  much  for  their  crops  as  formerly, 
although  the  growth  was  larger.  About  this  time  Connecti- 
cut seed  leaf  became  known  as  a  cigar  wrapper,,and  in  a  short 
time  took  the  lead  for  this  purpose,  as  it  still  continues  to. 
It  cured  finely,  burnt  white  and  free,  and  in  a  short  time 
brought  high  prices.  The  profit  realized  from  its  growth  led 
some  Connecticut  growers  into  the  same  mistake  as  it  did 
the  Cuban  planters,  when  they,  by  misguided  culture,  nearly 
ruined  their  crops  and  injured  the  reputation  of  Cuban 
tobacco. 

Artificial  fertilizers   and  strong  manure  produce   a  leaf 


LOVE  FOR  THE  PLANT. 


316 


larger  and  heavier,  but  their  effect  on  the  character  of  the 
leaf  is  injurious,  the  salts  destroying  its  fine  qualities,  so  that 
it  sweats  and  cures  poorly,  and  compared  with  the  finest  leaf 
burns  dark  and  emits  a  rank  and  unpleasant  odor. 

The  Connecticut  tobacco  grower  requires  considerable 
capital  when  engaged  extensively  in  the  business,  as  ordinarily 
he  buys  large  quantities  of  fertilizers  and  requires  many 
hands  to  cultivate  the  crop.  On  the  largest  tobacco  farms 
the  sheds  or  " hanging  houses"  are  built  nfear  or  in  the  field, 
and  are  sometimes  very  large,  say  two  or  three  hundred  feet 
in  length,  and  capable  of  holding  the  crop  of  from  five  to  ten 
acres. 

His  broad  fields  of  the  weed  can  usually  be  seen  from  his 
house  and  he  loves  to  show  to  visitors  the  plants  growing  in 


HOME  OF  THE   CONNECTICCT   PLANTER. 


all  their  luxuriance,  or  to  sit  on  liis  piazza  and  call  attention 
to  their  waving  leaves  and  graceful  showy  tops.  Few 
tobacco-growers  can  discuss  the  relative  merits  of  the  num- 
erous varieties  like  the  Connecticut  planter,  and  he  is  well 


316  KNOWLEDGE  OF  THE  PLANT. 

acquainted  not  only  with  the  various  kinds  grown  in  his 
own  country  but  also  with  those  of  others.  Indeed  you  may 
often  see  growing  in  his  garden  specimens  of  Cuban, 
Brazil  or  Latakia  tobacco ;  such  is  his  love  for  all  that  per- 
tains to  this  great  tropical  plant.  He  considers  it  one  of  the 
greatest  of  all  the  vegetable  products  and  never  tires  of 
lauding  the  plant  and  its  use.  He  sincerely  hates  all  anti- 
tobaccoites  and  has  a  supreme  disgust  for  the  memory  of 
King  James  I.  and  all  royal  foes  of  the  plant.  He  is,  how- 
ever, a  man  of  large  and  liberal  views  and  bestows  his  favors 
with  a  princely  hand.  If  fortune  frowns  he  may  lessen  his  crop 
but  never  his  attachment  for  the  plant.  Amid  all  the  cares 
and  perplexities  incident  to  life,  he  puffs  away  and  as  the 
ashes  drop  from  his  cigar  meditates  upon  the  probable  future 
of  tobacco  growers  and  all  users  of  the  weed. 

The  Connecticut  tobacco  grower  is  in  all  respects  a  man  of 
genuine  refinement  and  nobility  of  soul.  He  is  always 
ready  to  give  information  on  his  particular  system  of  culture, 
and  how  he  obtains  such  large  and  fine  crops.  He  is  a  good 
judge  of  leaf  tobacco,  and  can  tell  in  a  moment  the  quality 
of  his  famous  variety.  He  is  thoroughly  awake  to  modern 
improvements,  and  always  willing  to  try  new  implements, 
such  as  tobacco  hangers  or  transplanters  in  his  sheds  or  fields. 
He  is  just  the  person  one  ]ikes  to  meet,  jovial  and  good- 
natured  ;  he  naturally  loves  the  plant  he  cultivates  and  uses 
it  freely ;  lighting  his  after-dinner  cigar  or  evening  pipe  with 
a  gusto  that  is  peculiar  to  the  grower  of  tobacco  everywhere. 
Indeed  he  is  hardly  in  a  proper  frame  of  mind  to  converse 
about  tobacco  until  he  lights  a  cigar. 

No  other  cultivator  of  the  soil  gains  as  many  friends  as 
the  tobacco-grower.  His  table  is  well  supplied  from  the 
choicest  his  larder  affords  and  he  cheerfully  welcomes  all  to 
its  side.  He  is  the  iriend  of  the  poor  and  the  companion  of 
the  rich.  No  meanness  or  low  chicanery  is  his.  His  attach- 
ment for  home,  friends,  and  country  is  as  firm  and  strong  as 
for  the  plant  he  cultivates. 

Olmsted  in   his   work    "  The    Seaboard    Slave    States " 


VIRGINIA  PLANTERS. 


317 


gives  the  following  description  of  a  Virginia  plantation : 
"  Half  an  hour  after  this  1  arrived  at  the  negro  quarters — 
a  little  hamlet  of  ten  or  twelve  small  and  dilapidated  cabins. 
Just  beyond  them  was  a  plain  farm  gate  at  which  several 
negroes  were  standing  ;  one  of  them,  a  well-made  man,  with 


NEGRO    QUAKTERS. 

an  intelligent  countenance  and  prompt  manner,  directed  me 
how  to  find  my  way  to  his  owner's  house.  It  was  still  nearly 
a  mile  distant;  and  yet,  until  I  arrived  in  its  immediate 
vicinity,  I  saw  no  cultivated  field,  and  but  one  clearing. 

"  In  the  edge  of  this  clearing,  a  number  of  negroes,  male 
and  female,  lay  stretched  out  upon  the  ground  near  a  small 
smoking  charcoal  pit.  Their  master  afterwards  informed 
me  that  they  were  burning  charcoal  for  the  plantation  black- 
smith, using  the  time  allowed  them  for  holidays — from  Christ- 
mas to  New  Years — to  earn  a  little  money  for  themselves  in 
this  way.  He  paid  them  by  the  bushel  for  it.  When  I  said 
that  I  supposed  he  allowed  them  to  take  what  wood  they 
chose  for  this  purpose,  he  replied  that  he  had  five  hundred 
acres  covered  with  wood,  which  lie  Avould  be  very  glad  to 
have  any  one  burn,  or  clear  oif  in  any  way.  Cannot  some 
Yankee  contrive  a  metliod  of  concentrating  some  of  the 
valuable  properties  of  this  old  field  j^ine,  so  that  they  may 
be  profitably  brought  into  use  in  more  cultivated  regions  ? 
Charcoal  is  now  brought  from  Virginia ;  but  w'hen  made 
from  pine  it  is  not  very  valuable,  and  will  only  bear  trans- 
portation from  the  banks  of  the  navigable  rivers  whence  it 


318 


HOUSE  AND  SURROUNDINGS. 


can  be  shipped,  at  one  movement  to  New  York.  Tm'pentine 
does  not  flow  in  sufficient  quantity  from  this  variety  of  the 
pine  to  be  profitably  collected,  and  for  lumber  it  is  of  very 
small  value. 

"  Mr.  W.'s  house  was  an  old  family  mansion,  which  he 
had  himself  remodeled  in  the  Grecian  style,  and  furnished 
with  a  large  wooden  portico.  An  oak  forest  had  originally 
occupied  the  ground  where  it  stood  ;  but  this  having  been 
cleared  and  the  soil  w^orn  out  in  cultivation  by  the  previous 
proprietors,  pine  woods  now  surrounded  it  in  every  direction ; 
a  square  of  a  few  acres  only  being  kept  clear  immediately 
about  it.     A  number  of  the  old  oaks  still  stood  in  the  rear 


THE    PLANTER  S    HOME. 


of  the  house,  and,  until  Mr.  W.  commenced  his  improvements, 
there  had  been  some  in  its  front.  These,  however,  he  had 
cut  away,  as  interfering  with  the  symmetry  of  his  grounds, 
and  in  place  of  them  had  ailanthus  trees  in  parallel  rows. 

"  On  three  sides  of  the  outer  part  of  the  cleared  square 
there  was  a  row  of  large  and  comfortable-looking  negro 
quarters,  stables,  tobacco- houses,  and  other  offices,  built  of 
logs.  Mr.  W.  was  one  of  the  few  large  planters,  of  his 
vicinity,  who  still  made  the  culture  of  tobacco  their  principal 


A  VIRGINIA  PLANTATION.  319 

business.  He  said  there  was  a  general  prejudice  against 
tobacco,  in  all  the  tide  water  regions  of  the  State,  because  it 
was  through  the  culture  of  tobacco  that  the  once  fertile  soil 
had  been  impoverished ;  but  he  did  not  believe  that,  at  the 
present  value  of  negroes,  their  labor  could  be  applied  to  the 
culture  of  grain  with  any  profit,  except  under  peculiarly 
favorable  circumstances.  Possibly  the  use  of  guano  might 
make  wheat  a  paying  crop,  but  he  still  doubted.  He  had 
not  used  it,  himself.  Tobacco  required  fresh  land,  and  was 
rapidly  exhausting,  but  it  returned  more  money,  for  the 
labor  used  upon  it,  than  anything  else  ;  enough  more,  in  his 
opinion  to  pay  for  the  wearing  out  of  the  land.  If  he  was 
well  paid  for  it,  he  did  not  know  why  he  should  not  wear 
out  his  land.  His  tobacco-fields  were  nearly  all  in  a  distant 
and  lower  part  of  his  plantation;  land  which  had  been 
neglected  before  his  time,  in  a  great  measure,  because  it  had 
been  sometimes  flooded,  and  was,  much  of  the  year,  too  wet 
for  cultivation.  He  was  draining  and  clearing  it,  and  it  now 
brought  good  crops.  He  had  had  an  Irish  gang  draining  for 
him,  by  contract.  He  thought  a  negro  could  do  twice  as 
much  work  in  a  day  as  an  Irishman.  He  had  not  stood  over 
them  and  seen  them  at  work,  but  judged  entirely  from  the 
amount  they  accomplished:  he  thought  a  good  gang  of 
negroes  would  have  got  on  twice  as  fast.  He  was  sure  they 
must  have  '  trifled  '  a  great  deal,  or  they  would  have  accom- 
plished more  than  they  had.  He  complained  much  of  their 
sprees  and  quarrels.  I  asked  why  he  should  employ  Irish- 
men, in  preference  to  doing  the  work  with  his  own  hands. 
'  It's  dangerous  work,  (unhealthy  !)  and  a  negro's  life  is  too 
valuable  to  be  risked  at  it.  If  a  negro  dies  it's  a  considerable 
loss,  you  know.'  He  afterwards  said  that  his  negroes  never 
worked  so  hard  as  to  tire  themselves — always  were  lively, 
and  ready  to  go  oflf  on  a  frolic  at  night.  He  did  not  think 
they  ever  did  half  a  fair  day's  work.  They  could  not  be 
made  to  work  hard  :  they  never  would  lay  out  their  strength 
freely,  and  it  was  impossible  to  make  them  do  it.  This  is 
just  what  I  have  thought  when  I  have  seen  slaves  at  work — 
they  seem  to  go  through  the  motions  of  labor  without  putting 
strength  into  them.  They  keep  their  powers  in  reserve  for 
their  own  use  at  night,  perhaps. 

"  Mr.  W.  also  said  that  he  cultivated  only  the  coarser  and 
lower-priced  sorts  of  tobacco,  because  the  finer  sorts  required 
more  pains-taking  and  discretion  than  it  was  possible  to  make 
a  large  gang  of  negroes  use.  '  You  can  make  a  nigger  work,' 
be  said,  '  but  you  cannot  make  him  think.' " 


320  EARLY  CULTURE  OF  TOBACCO. 

In  speaking  of  tlic  early  tobacco  culture  of  Virginia,  lie 


The  light,  rich  mould  resting  on  the  sandy  soil  of  Eastern 
Virginia  was  exactly  suited  to  the  cultivation  of  tobacco,  and 
no  better  climate  for  this  plant  was  to  be  found  on  the  globe. 
This  had  just  been  sufficiently  proved,  and  a  suitable  method 
of  culture  learned  experimentally,  when  the  land  was  oft'ered 
to  individual  proprietors  by  the  king,  (James  I.)  Yery  little 
else  was  to  be  obtained  from  the  soil  which  would  be  of  value 
to  scud  to  Europe,  without  an  application  to  it  of  a  higher 
degree  of  art  than  the  slaves,  or  stupid,  careless  servants  of 
the  proprietors  could  readily  be  forced  to  use.  Although 
tobacco  had  been  introduced  into  England  but  a  few  years, 
an  enormous  number  of  persons  had  initiated  themselves  in 
the  appreciation  of  its  mysterious  value. 

"  The  king,  having  taken  a  violent  prejudice  against  it, 
though  he  saw  no  harm  in  the  distillation  of  grain,  had  for- 
bidden that  it  should  be  cultivated  in  England.  Virginia, 
therefore,  had  every  advantage  to  supply  the  demand.  Mer- 
chants and  the  super-cargoes  of  ships,  arriving  with  slaves 
from  Africa,  or  manufactured  goods,  spirits,  or  other  luxuries 
from  England,  very  gladly  bartered  them  with  the  planters 
for  tobacco,  but  for  nothing  else.  Tobacco,  therefore,  stood 
for  money,  and  the  passion  for  raising  it,  to  the  exclusion  of 
everything  else,  became  a  mania,  like  the  '  California  fever ' 
of  1849. 

"  The  culture  being  once  established,  there  were  many 
reasons  growing  out  of  the  social  structure  of  the  colony, 
which,  for  more  than  a  century,  kept  the  industry  of  the 
Virginians  confined  to  this  one  staple.  These  reasons  were 
chiefly  the  difficulty  of  breaking  the  slaves,  or  training  the 
bond-servants  to  new  methods  of  labor,  the  want  of  enterprise 
or  ingenuity  of  the  proprietors  to  contrive  other  profitable 
occupations  for  them,  and  the  difficulty  or  expense  of  dis- 
tributing the  guard  or  oversight,  without  whicli  it  was  impos- 
sible to  get  any  work  done  at  all,  if  the  laborers  were  separated, 
or  worked  in  any  other  way  than  side  by  side,  in  gangs,  as 
in  the  tobacco-fields. 

"  Owing  to  these  causes  the  planters  kept  on  raising  tobacco 
with  hardly  sufficient  intermission  to  provide  sustenance, 
though  often,  by  reason  of  the  excessive  quantity  raised, 
scarcely  anything  could  be  got  for  it.  Tobacco  is  not  now 
considered  peculiarly  and  excessively  exhaustive ;  in  a  judi- 
cious rotation,  especially  as  a  preparation  for  wheat,  it  is  an 


ACTS  LIMITING  QUANTITY.  321 

admirable  fallow  crop,  and,  under  a  scientific  system  of  agri- 
culture, it  is  grown  with  no  continued  detriment  to  the  soil. 
But  in  Virginia  it  was  grown  without  interruption  or  alter- 
nation, and  the  plantations  rapidly  deteriorated  in  fertility. 
As  they  did  so,  the  crops  grew  smaller  in  proportion  to  the 
labor  expended  upon  them ;  yet,  from  the  continued  impor- 
tation of  laborers,  the  total  crops  of  the  colony  increased 
annually,  and  the  market  value  fell  proportionately  to  the 
better  supj^ly. 

"  With  smaller  return  for  labor  and  lower  prices,  the 
planters  soon  foimd  themselves  bankrupt,  instead  of  nabobs. 
How  could  they  help  themselves?  Only  by  forcing  the 
merchants  to  pay  them  higher  prices.  But  how  to  do  that, 
when  every  planter  had  his  crop  pledged  in  advance,  and 
was  obliged  to  hurry  it  off  at  any  price  he  could  get  for  it, 
in  order  to  pay  for  his  food,  and  drink,  and  clothing,  and  to 
keep  his  head  above  water  at  credit  for  the  following  year. 
The  crop  supplied  more  tobacco  than  was  needed,  but  no  one 
man  would  cease  to  plant  it,  or  lessen  his  crop  for  the  general 
good.  Then  it  was  agreed  all  men  must  be  made  to  do  so, 
and  the  colonial  legislature  was  called  upon  to  make  them. 

"  Acts  were  accordingly  passed  to  prevent  any  planter  from 
cultivating  more  than  a  certain  number  of  plants  to  each 
hand  he  employed  in  labor,  and  prescribing  the  number  of 
leaves  which  might  be  permitted  to  ripen  upon  each  plant 
permitted  to  be  grown.  An  inspection  of  all  tobacco,  after 
it  had  been  prepared  for  market,  was  decreed,  and  the  in- 
spectors were  bound  by  oath,  after  having  rejected  all  of 
inferior  quality,  to  divide  the  good  into  two  equal  parts,  and  / 
then  to  burn  and  destroy  one  of  them.  Thus,  it  was  ex- 
pected the  quantity  of  tobacco  offered  for  sale  would  be  so 
small  that  merchants  would  be  glad  to  pay  better  prices  for 
it,  and  the  planters  would  be  relieved  of  their  embarrass- 
ment." 

Mrs.  M.  P.  Handy  gives  the  following  interesting  sketch, 
entitled  "  On  the  Tobacco  Plantation  " : — 

"  Riding  through  Southside,  Virginia,  any  warm,  bright 
winter's  day  after  Christmas,  the  stranger  may  be  startled  to 
see  a  dense  column  of  smoke  rising  from  the  forest  beyond. 
He  anxiously  inquires  of  the  first  person  he  meets — probably 
a  negro — if  the  woods  are  on  fire.  Cuffee  shows  his  white 
teeth  in  a  grin  that  is  half  amusement,  half  contempt,  as  he 
answers:  'No,  sar,  deys  jis  burnin'  a  plant-patch.'  iTor  this 
is  the  first  step  in  tobacco-culture. 
21 


THE  "  PLANT-PATCH." 


"  A  sunny,  sheltered  spot  on  the  southern  slope  of  a  hill  is 
eelected,  one  protected  from  northern  winds  by  the  surround- 


BURNING   THE    PATCH. 


ing  forest,  but  open  to  the  sun  in  front,  and  here  the  hot-bed 
for  the  reception  of  the  seed  is  prepared.  All  growth  is 
felled  within  the  area  needed,  large  dead  logs  are  dragged 
and  heaped  on  the  ground  as  for  a  holocaust,  the  whole 
ignited,  and  the  fire  kept  up  until  nothing  is  left  of  the  im- 
mense wood-heap  but  circles  of  the  smoldering  ashes.  These 
are  afterward  carefully  plowed  in ;  the  soil,  fertilized  still 
further,  if  need  be,  is  harrowed  and  prepared  as  though  for 
a  garden-bed,  and  the  small  brown  seed  sown,  from  which  is 
to  spring  the  most  widely-used  of  man's  useless  luxuries. 
Later,  when  the  spring  fairly  opens,  and  the  young  plants  in 
this  primitive  hot-bed  are  large  and  strong  enough  to  bear 
transplanting,  the  Yirginian  draws  them,  a§  the  New  Eng- 
lander  does  his  cabbages,  and  plants  them  in  like  manner,  in 
hills  from  two  to  four  feet  apart  each  way.  Lucky  is  he  whose 
plant-bed  has  escaped  the  fly,  the  first  enemy  of  the  precious 
weed.  Its  attacks  are  made  upon  it  in  the  first  stage  of  its 
existence,  and  are  more  fatal,  because  less  easily  prevented, 
than  those  of  the  tobacco-worm,  that  scourge,  ^^ar  excellence^ 
of  the  tobacco  crop.  Farmers  often  lose  their  entire  stock 
of  plants,  and  are  forced  to  send  miles  to  beg  or  buy  of  a 
more  fortunate  planter.  Freshly -cleared  land — ••  new  ground,' 
as  the  negroes  call  it — makes  the  best  tobacco-field,  and  on 


PLANTING,  TOPPING  AND  PRIMING. 


323 


this  and  the  rich  lowhiiids  tliroui^hout  Soiithside  is  raised 
the  staple  known  through  the  world  as  James  River  tobacco. 

"  On  this  crop  the  planter  lavishes  his  choicest  fertilizers ; 
for  the  ranker  the  growth,  the  longer  and  larger  the  leaf,  the 
greater  is  the  value  thereof,  thougli  the  manufacturers  com- 
plain bitterly  of  the  free  use  of  guano,  which,  thej  say, 
destroys  the  resinous  gum  on  which  the  value  of  the  leaf 
depends.  Once  set,  the  young  plant  must  contend,  not  only 
with  the  ordinary  risk  of  transplanting,  but  the  cut-worm  is 
now  to  be  dreaded.  "Working  underground,  it  severs  the 
stem  just  above  the  root,  and  the  first  intimation  of  its  pres- 
ence is  the  prone  and  drooping  plant.  For  this  there  is  no 
remedy,  except  to  plant  and  replant,  until  the  tobacco  itself 
kills  the  worm.  In  o)ie  instance,  which  came  under  our 
observation,  a  single  field  was  replanted  six  times  before  the 
planter  succeeded  in  getting  'a  good  stand,'  as  they  call  it  on 
the  plantations ;  but  this  was  an  extreme  case. 

"  When  the  plants  are  fairly  started  in  their  growth,  the 
planter  tops  and  primes  them,  processes  performed,  the  first 
by  pinching  off"  the  top  bud,  -which  would  else  run  to  seed, 
and  the  second  by  removing  the  lower  leaves  of  each  plant, 
leaving  bare  a  space  of  some  inches  near  the  ground,  and 
retaining  from  six  to  a  dozen  stout,  well-formed  leaves  on 
each  stem,  according  to  the  promise  of  the  soil  and  season, 
and  these  leaves  form  the  crop.       The  rejected  lower  leaves 


STRINGING    THK    PRIMINGS. 


or  primings,  in   the   days   of  slavery,  formed  one  of    the 
mistress'  perquisites   and    were  carefully  collected   by   the 


324  SUCKERING. 

*  house-gang,'  as  the  force  was  styled,  strung  on  small  sharp 
sticks  like  exaggerated  meat-skewers,  and  cured,  first  in  the 
sun,  afterwards  in  the  barn,  often  placing  a  pretty  penny  in 
her  private  purse.  Now  when  all  labor  must  be  paid  for  in 
money,  they  are  not  worth  collecting,  and,  except  when  some 
thrifty  freedman  has  a  large  family  which  he  wishes  to  turn 
to  account,  are  left  to  wither  where  they  fall. 

There  is  absolutely  no  rest  on  a  large  tobacco  plantation, 
one  step  following  another  in  the  cultivation  of  the  trouble- 
some weed — the  last  year's  crop  is  rarely  shipped  to  market 
before  the  seed  must  be  sown  for  the  next — and  planting  and 
replanting,  topping  and  priming,  suckering  and  worming, 
crowd  on  each  other  through  all  the  summer  months. 
Withal  the  ground  must  be  rigidly  kept  free  from  grass  and 
weeds,  and  after  the  plants  have  attained  any  size  this  must 
be  done  by  hoe ;  horse  and  plow  would  break  and  bruise  the 
brittle  leaves. 

"'Suckering'  is  performed  by  removing  every  leaf-bud 
which  the  plant  throws  out  after  the  priming  (and  topping), 
thus  retaining  all  its  sap  and  strength  for  the  development  of 
the  leaves  already  formed,  and  this  must  be  done  again  and 
again  through  the  whole  season.  Worming  is  still  more 
tedious  and  unremitting.  In  the  animal  kingdom  there  are 
three  creatures,  and  three  only,  to  whom  tobacco  is  not 
poisonous — man,  a  goat  found  among  the  Andes,  and  the 
tobacco-worm.  This  last  is  a  long,  smooth-skinned  worm, 
its  body  formed  of  successive  knobs  or  rings,  furnished  each 
with  a  pair  of  legs,  large  prominent  eyes,  and  is  in  color  as 
green  as  the  leaf  upon  which  it  feeds.  It  is  found  only  on 
the  under  side  of  the  leaves,  every  one  of  which  must  be 
carefully  lifted  and  examined  for  its  presence.  Women  make 
better  wormers  than  men,  probably  because  they  are  more 
patient  and  painstaking.  When  caught  the  worm  is  pulled 
apart  between  the  thumb  and  finger,  for  crushing  it  in  the 
soft  mold  of  the  carefully  cultivated  fields. is  impossible. 
Carelessness  in  worming  was  an  unpardonable  ofience  in  the 
days  of  slavery,  and  was  frequently  punished  with  great 
severity.  An  occasional  penalty  on  some  plantations — very 
few,  in  justice  to  Virginia  planters  be  it  said — was  to  compel 
the  delinquent  wormer  to  bite  in  two  the  disgusting  M^orm 
discovered  in  his  or  her  row  by  the  lynx-eyed  overseer. 
Valuable  coadjutors  in  this  work  are  the  housewife's  flock  of 
turkeys,  which  are  allowed  the  range  of  the  tobacco  lots  near 
the  house,  and  which  destroy  the  worms  by  scores.    The 


CROP-GATHERINa.  325 

moth,  whose  egg  produces  these  larvae,  is  a  large  white 
miller  of  unusual  size  and  prolificness.  Liberal  and  kind 
masters  would  frequently  offer  the  negro  children  a  reward 


for  every  miller  captured,  and  many  were  the  pennies  won 
in  this  M'ay.  One  of  these  insects,  placed  one  evening  under 
an  inverted  tumbler,  was  found  next  morning  to  have  depos- 
ited over  two  hundred  eggs  on  the  glass. 

"  As  the  plant  matures  the  leaves  grow  heavy,  and,  thick 
with  gum,  droop  gracefully  over  from  the  plant.  Then  as 
they  ripen,  one  by  one  the  plants  are  cut,  some  inches  below 
the  first  leaves,  with  short  stout  knives, — scythe  or  reaper  is 
useless  here, — and  hung,  heads  down,  on  scaffolds,  in  the 
open  air,  till  ready  to  be  taken  to  the  barn.  A  Virginia 
tobacco-barn  is  totally  unlike  any  other  building  under  the 
sun.  Square  as  to  the  ground  plan,  its  height  is  usually 
twice  its  width  and  length.  In  the  center  of  the  bare  earthen 
floor  is  the  trench  for  firing;  around  the  sides  runs  a  raised 
platform  for  placing  the  leaves  in  bulk ;  and,  commencing  at 
a  safe  distance  from  the  fire,  up  to  the  top  of  the  tall 
building,  reach  beams  stretching  across  for  the  reception  of 
the  tobacco-sticks,  thick  pine  laths,  from  which  are  suspended 
the  heavy  plants.  Safely  housed  and  beyond  all  danger  of 
the  frost,  whose  slightest  touch  is  sufticient  to  blacken  and 
destroy  it,  the  crop  is  now  ready  for  firing,  and  through  the 
late  autumn  days  blue  clouds  of  smoke  hover  over  and 
around  the  steep  roofs  of  the  tall  tobacco-barns.     A  stranger 


326  CURING  AND  SORTING. 

might  suppose  the  buildings  on  fire,but  not  a  blaze  is  within, 
the  object  here,  as  in  bacon-curing,  being  smohe,  not  fire. 

"  For  this  the  old  field-pine  is  eschewed,  and  the  planter 
draws  on  his  stock  of  oak  and  hickory-trees.  Many  use  sas- 
safras and  sweet  gum  in  preference  to  all  other  woods  for  this 
purpose,  under  the  impression  that  they  improve  the  flavor 
of  the  tobacco-leaf.  When  the  leaves,  fully  cured,  have  taken 
the  rich  brown  hue  of  the  tobacco  of  commerce,  so  unlike  the 
deep  green  of  the  growing  plant  that  a  person  familiar  with 
the  one  would  never  recognize  the  other  as  the  same  plant, 
the  planter  must  fold  his  hands  and  wait  until  they  are  in 
condition  for  what  is  technically  known  as  striking,  i,  e., 
taking  down  from  the  rafters  on  which  they  are  suspended. 
Touch  the  tobacco  when  too  dry  and  it  crumbles,  disturb  it 
when  too  high  or  damp,  and  its  value  for  shipping  is  materi- 
ally lessened,  while  if  handled  in  too  cold  weather  it  becomes 
harsh.  But  there  comes  a  mild  damp  spell,  and  the  watchful 
planter  seizing  the  right  moment,  since  tobacco,  like  time  and 
tide,  waits  for  no  man,  musters  all  the  force  he  can  command 
for  the  work  of  stripping  and  stemming.  This  done,  the 
leaves  are  sorted  and  tied  in  bundles,  several  being  held  in 
one  hand,  while  around  the  stalk-end  of  the  cluster  is  wrap- 
ped another  leaf,  the  loose  end  of  which  is  tucked  through 
the  center  of  the  bundle.  Great  care  is  taken  in  this 
operation  not  to  break  the  leaf,  and  oil  or  lard  is  freely  used 
in  the  work.  During  this  process  the  crop  is  divided  into 
the  various  grades  of  commerce  from  '  long  bright '  leaf  to 
Mugs'  the  lowest  grade  known  to  manufacturers.  These  last 
are  not  packed  into  hogsheads,  but  are  sent  loose,  and  sold 
without  the  trouble  of  prizing,  in  the  nearest  market-town. 

"  Shades  imperceptible  to  a  novice,  serve  to  determine  the 
value  of  the  leaf.  As  it  varies  in  color,  texture,  and  length, 
80  fluctuates  its  market  price,  and  at  least  half  the  battle  lies 
in  the  manner  in  which  the  crop  has  been  handled  in  curing. 
From  the  mountainous  counties  of  South-wes'tern  Virginia, 
Franklin,  Henry,  and  Patrick,  comes  all  the  rarest  and  the 
most  valuable  tobacco,  '  fancy  wrappers '  but  these  crops  are 
smaller  in  proportion  to  those  raised  along  the  lowlands 
of  the  rivers.  This  tobacco  is  much  lighter  in  color,  much 
softer  in  texture,  than  the  ordinary  staple,  and  is  frequently 
as  soft  and  fine  as  silk,  Some  years  ago  a  bonnet  made  of 
this  tobacco  was  exhibited  at  the  Border  Agricultural  Fair, 
and  had  somewhat  the  appearance  of  brown  silk.  Only  one 
such  plant  have  I  ever  seen  grown  in  Southside,  and  that,  a 


TOBACCO  MARKETS.  327 

bright  golden  brown,  and  nearly  two  feet  in  length,  was 
carefully  preserved  for  show  on  the  parlor-mantel  of  the 
planter  who  raised  it. 

"  After  tying,  the  bundles  are  placed  in  bulk,  and  when 
again  '  in  order,'  are  *  prized '  or  packed  into  the  hogsheads, 
— no  smoothly -planed  and  iron-hooped  cask,  by  the  way,  but 
huge  pine  structures  very  roughly  made.  The  old  machine 
for  prizing  was  a  primitive  affair,  the  upright  beam  through 
which  ran  another  at  right  angles,  turning  slightly  on  a  pivot, 
heavily  weighted  at  one  end,  and  used  as  a  lever  for  com- 
pressing the  brown  mass  into  the  hogsheads.  Now,  most 
well-to-do  planters  own  a  tobacco  straightener  and  screw- 
press,  inventions  which  materially  lessen  the  manual  labor 
of  preparing  the  crop  for  market.  Each  hogshead  is  branded 
with  the  name  of  the  owner,  and  thus  shipped  to  his  com- 
mission-merchant, when  the  hogshead  is  '  broken '  by  tear- 
ing off  a  stave,  thus  exposing  the  strata  of  the  bulk  to  view. 
Of  late  years  some  planters  have  been  guilty  of  '  nesting,'  or 
placing  prime  leaf  around  the  outer  part  and  an  inferior 
article  in  the  center  of  the  hogshead. 

/^  "  At  a  tobacco  mart  in  Southside,  occurred  perhaps  the 
only  instance  of  negro-selling  since  the  establishment  of  the 
Freedman's  Bureau.  At  every  town  is  a  huge  platform  scale 
for  weighing  wagon  and  load,  deducting  the  weight  of  the 
former  from  the  united  weight  of  both  to  find  the  quantity 
of  tobacco  offered  for  sale.  A  small  planter  has  brought  a 
lot  of  loose  tobacco  to  market,  which,  being  sold,  was  weighed 
in  this  manner,  and  for  which  the  purchaser  was  about  to 
pay,  when  a  bystander  quietly  remarked,  'You  forgot  to 
weigh  the  nigger.'  An  explanation  followed,  and  the 
tobacco,  re-weighed,  was  found  short  158  lbs.,  or  the  exact 
weight  of  the  colored  driver,  who  had,  unobserved,  been 
standing  on  the  scales  behind  the  cart  while  the  first  weigh- 
ing took  place. 

"  Thirty  years  or  more  ago — before  the  Danville  and 
Southside  Railroads  were  built — the  tobacco  was  principally 
carried  to  market  on  flat-boats,  and  the  refrain  to  a  favorite 
negro  song  was : — 

"  *  Oh,  I'm  gwine  down  to  Town ! 
An'  I'm  gwine  down  to  Town ! 
I'm  gwine  down  to  Richmond  Town 
To  cayr  my  'bacca  down !' 

**  Then  all  along  the  rivers,  at  every  landing,  was  a  tobacco 
warehouse,  the  ruins  of  some  of  which  may  still  be  seen. 


32S  FIRST  WESTERN  PLANTERS. 

With  no  crop  has  the  Emancipation  Act  interfered  so  much 
as  with  this,  and  the  old  tobacco  planters  will  tell  you  with 
a  sigh  that  tobacco  no  longer  yields  them  the  profits  it  once 
did :  the  manufacturers  are  the  only  people  who  make  for- 
tunes on  it  now-a-days ;  $12  per  hundred  is  the  lowest  price 
which  pays  for  the  raising,  and  few  crops  average  that  now. 
Still  every  farmer  essays  its  culture,  every  freedman  has  his 
small  tobacco  patch  by  his  cabin  door,  and  the  Indian  weed 
is  still  the  great  staple  of  Eastern  Yirginia," 

The  first  planters  of  tobacco  at  the  West  were  the  Ohioans, 
who  began  its  culture  about  fifty  years  ago.  From  the  first 
they  have  taken  much  interest  in  the  plant,  and  as  the  result 
of  many  experiments  not  only  produce  seed  leaf,  but  the 
finest  cutting  leaf  grown  in  this  country.  The  Ohio  tobacco 
growers  have  shown  a  spirit  of  enterprise  in  this  direction 
that  is  as  commendable  as  it  is  rare.  While  they  have  not 
tested  the  great  tropical  varieties  like  their  brother  tobacco 
growers  of  Connecticut,  they  have  succeeded  in  producing  a 
leaf  for  cutting  that  is  the  admiration  of4he  world.  At  first 
their  experiments  were  unsuccessful,  and  the  early  growers 
were  ridiculed  for  entertaining  the  belief  that  tobacco  could 
be  grown  at  the  West.  Yet  despite  all  objections  and  seem- 
ing failures,  the  growers  continued  its  cultivation  until  it  has 
become  one  of  the  great  products  of  the  State.  Of  late  the 
Ohio  growers  have  demonstrated  that  their  soil  is  better 
adapted  for  the  finer  grades  of  cutting  leaf,  than  for  seed  leaf 
or  even  the  more  common  "cinnamon  blotch." 

The  soil  is  rich,  and  an  experience  of  half  a  century  has  at 
length  given  them  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  plant  and 
the  most  successful  modes  of  cultivation.  In  appearance  an 
Ohio  tobacco  field  resembles  those  of  the  Connecticut  valley 
— the  leaf  is  large,  and  though  coarser,  cures  down  a  dark 
rich  brown,  like  "  cinnamon  blotch,"  or  a  light  yellow,  the 
color  of  the  famous  "white  tobacco."  The  Ohio  growers 
have  taken  much  pains  with  the  Ohio  broad  leaf,  and  have 
produced  a  seed  leaf  tobacco  that  in  many  respects  is  a  supe- 
rior wrapper  for  cigars.  While  it  does  not  possess  the  fine 
texture  of  Connecticut  seed  leaf  it  still  has  many  good  quali- 
ties, and  with  the  careful  culture  given  it  will  doubtless 


OtllU  TObAlX  o. 


329 


become  still  finer  as  a  leaf  tobacco,  for  wrapping  cigars. 
But  it  is  in  the  production  of  cutting  leaf  that  the  Ohio 
growers  take  rank,  and  ere  long  will  supply  the  vast  demand 
made  upon  them  for  their  great  cutting  variety. 

AVith  a  degree  of  pride  peculiar  to  all  tobacco  growers, 
(when  any  new  variety  has  originated,)  they  point  with  no 
little  egotism  to  their  fields  of  "  white  tobacco,"  and  ask  their 
fellow-growers  of  Kew  England  to  rival  this  "  great  plant." 
So  successful  have  they  been  of  late  with  cutting  leaf,  that 
their  fields  yield  them  returns  not  inferior  to  many  of  the 
choicest  tobacco  farms  on  the  Connecticut  River.  The  Ohio 
growers  have  one  advantage  over  earlier  growers  of  the  plant 


OHIO    TOBACCO    FI 


(••I  ELD. 


— their  land  has  not  been  cultivated  as  long  as  the  famous 
tobacco  lands  of  the  Connecticut  valley,  and  does  not  require 
that  thorough  fertilizing  wliich  is  so  necessary  in  ISTew  Eng- 
land. Still  the  tobacco  field  cannot  be  too  thoroughly  pre- 
pared for  the  growth  of  tobacco,  whether  in  the  tropics  or  in 
the  more  temperate  regions. 

In  the  curing  of  tobacco,  the  Ohio  growers  have  but  few 
equals,  and  no  superiors.  At  first,  the  complaint  made  by 
the  buyers  of  Ohio  tobacco  was,  that  "  Ohio  tobacco  has  the 


330  MODE  OF  CURE. 

appearance  of  being  too  hard  fired,  indeed  so  miicli  so  as  to 
have  the  flavor  of  being  baked."  The  early  culture  of  to- 
bacco in  the  State  attracted  the  attention  of  tobacco  buyers, 
especially  those  who  had  dealt  largely  in  Maryland  leaf,  and 
60  much  so,  that  one  large  firm  issued  a  circular  and  sent  to 
all  the  prominent  growers  in  the  tobacco  growing  section 
giving  instructions  in  regard  to  its  cultivation  and  manage- 
ment. "We  copy  from  one  lying  before  us,  and  dated  1842. 
It  reads  as  follows  :  "As  tobacco  is  every  year  becoming  a 
more  prominent  article  in  your  State,  we  deem  it  of  so  much 
importance  that  we  have  had  this  circular  printed  on  the  sub- 
ject of  its  Cultivation  and  Management,  and  take  the  liberty 
to  address  it  to  you.  New  ground  produces  the  finest  and 
highest  priced  tobacco.  The  plants  should  be  set  about  2 
feet  9  inches  or  three  feet  apart,  which  will  give  them  suflSi- 
cient  air  and  sun  to  ripen,  and  give  the  leaf  a  good  body.  It 
should  be  topped  as  soon  as  it  buttons,  kept  clear  of  suck- 
ers, and  cut  as  soon  as  it  is  ripe — if  favorable  weather,  it  will 
be  fit  for  the  house  in  15  to  twenty  days  after  it  is  topped. 

"When  cut,  let  it  remain  until  sufiiciently  lank  to  handle 
without  breaking  ;  but  it  should  be  housed  before  it  is  sun- 
killed,  or  much  deadened,  to  prevent  which,  put  it  up  in 
small  heaps,  say  as  much  as  a  man  can  carry,  with  the  heads 
to  the  sun,  as  soon  as  cut,  and  even  then  the  top  plants  may 
be  too  much  deadened,  unless  soon  removed  to  the  house. 
If  sun-killed,  it  will  not  cure  fine.  The  Maryland  system  is 
to  fire  without  flues,  and  when  the  precaution  is  taken  to  lay 
planks  or  boards  directly  over  the  fire,  accidents  seldom  occur. 
"  Slow  fires  are  kept  up  for  the  first  four  or  five  days  after 
the  house  is  filled,  so  as  to  give  it  a  moderate  heat  through- 
out, until  the  Tobacco  is  generally  yellow,  then  the  fires  are 
raised  or  increased  so  as  to  kill  the  leaf  and  stem  in  forty- 
eight  hours  or  less.  When  cured  on  the  stock,  as  is  done  in 
Maryland,  it  can  be  better  assorted,  or  the  different  qualities 
more  readily  separated  than  when  stripped  in  the  field  and 
cured  in  the  leaf.  When  stripping  and  tying  up  in  bundles, 
it  should  be  assorted  according  to  the  following  classifica- 
tions: 1st,  Fine  Yellow;  2d,  Yellow;  3d,  Spangled ;  4th, 
Fine  Ked ;  5th,  Good  Red  ;  6th,  Brown  and  Common.  It 
is  often  put  up  as  if  there  were  but  two  or  three  qualities, 
hence  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  the  several  sorts,  which  is 
a  very  serious  disadvantage  in  selling,  as  the  purchaser  gener- 
ally values  it  at  the  price  of  the  most  inferior  in  the  sample. 


TOBACCO  IN  OHIO. 


331 


"  The  process  of  curing  unfired,  or  air-dried  tobacco,  is 
similar  to  the  above,  except  the  firing  ;  when  so  cured,  it  is 
more  difficult  to  condition,  so  as  to  make  it  keep ;  but  it 
generally  sells  quite  as  well.  Planters  should  be  very  care- 
ful to  have  their  Tobacco  in  good  dry  condition  when  they 
deliver  it  to  the  dealer  or  purchaser,  as  it  is  all-important  to 
him  to  receive  it  free  from  dampness  or  moisture,  which 
bruises  it  and  injures  its  quality.  We  think  such  manage- 
ment as  directed  above  would  raise  the  value  of  Ohio  to- 
bacco as  high  as  similar  quality  of  Maryland." 

As  when  first  cultivated,  the  Ohio  growers  still  select  new 
land  as  the  best  adapted  for  tobacco,  though  not  as  easy  of 
cultivation.  When  the  tobacco  growers  are  ready  for  pre- 
paring their  "  new  ground  "  they  invite  in  their  friends  and 
neighbors,  and  the  field  is  "grubbed"  in  a  short  time. 
*'  Grubbing  Day,"  with  the  young  people,  is  an  event  of  no 
common  interest ;  the  farmers  gather  from  the  adjoining  farms 
and  with  mirth  and  muscle  soon  render  the  field  fit  for  the  "In- 
dian herb."  In  the  evening,  the  planter's  home  is  filled  with 
the  young  people,  bent  on  having  a  right  good  time,  and 
with  "  stripping  the  willow  "  and  other  games,  close  the  day 
if  not  the  night  in  the  most  enjoyable  manner.  Many  of 
the  country  mer- 
chants take  the  to- 
bacco of  the  growers 
when  in  condition  to 
handle,  paying  them 
(or  at  least  a  portion 
of  it,)  in  goods,  or 
purchasing  the  to- 
bacco as  they  do 
other  merchandise. 
They  have  large 
warehouses  where 
they  receive  and 
pack  the  tobacco  until  shipped  to  market.  In  the  early 
Spring  the  'growers  take  their  tobacco  to  the  workhouses, 
where    it    is    packed   by  the    merchanta  who    frequently 


TOBACCO   WAREHOUSE. 


332  KENTUCKY  TOBACCO-GROWING. 

have  a  claim  on  the  crop  for  advances  made  on  the  same. 

Having  given  a  description  of  the  Connecticut,  Virginia 
and  Ohio  tobacco  growers,  we  come  now  to  the  most  exten- 
tensive  cultivators  of  tobacco  in  America — the  Kentuckians. 
With  the  exception  of  the  Virginians  they  are  the  oldest 
growers  of  the  plant  in  the  United  States,*  and  are  confess- 
edly among  the  most  thorough  cultivators  of  the  plant  in  the 
world.  The  soil  of  Kentucky  is  admirably  adapted  for  the 
great  staple,  and  along  the  banks  of  the  Green  River  may  be 
seen  the  largest  tobacco  fields  in  the  world.  The  plant 
attains  a  large  size,  and  grows  with  a  luxuriance  common  to 
all  products  grown  in  the  famous  "  blue  grass  "  region. 

The  system  adopted  by  the  Kentucky  growers  is  similar 
to  that  adopted  by  all  growers  of  cut  tobacco,  and  the  fine 
quality  of  Kentucky  "selections"  has  deservedly  gained  the 
leaf  a  reputation  that  must  place  it  in  the  front  rank  of 
American  tobacco.  The  vast  quantity  grown  in  the  state  is 
an  evidence  not  only  of  the  good  quality  of  Kentucky 
tobacco,  but  of  the  adaptation  of  the  soil  and  of  the  method 


KENTUCKY  TOBACCO  PLANTATION. 


of  cultivation  in  use.  As  a  cut  tobacco,  Kentucky-leaf  is 
held  in  the  highest  esteem,  the  exportation  of  the  leaf  to  all 
parts  of  Europe  gaining  for  it  a  reputation  hardly  equaled 


•Kentucky  was  originally  a  part  of  Virginia. 


THE  KENTUCKY  PLANTER.  333 

by  any  Southern  tobacco.  The  system  of  cultivation  is  simi- 
lar to  that  pursued  by  the  Virginian,  and  the  same  process  of 
curing  is  also  adopted. 

The  Kentucky  growers  generally  succeed  in  getting  a 
"  good  stand  "  and  when  once  the  plants  have  commenced 
to  grow  they  come  forward  with  a  rapidity  that  is  truly  aston- 
ishing. The  soil  of  Kentucky  is  well  adapted  for  the  pro- 
duction of  the  largest  varieties  of  tobacco  as  well  as  the 
finest  grades  of  cutting  leaf.  Much  attention  is  paid  to  the 
selection  of  soil,  that  the  light  standard  of  Kentucky  leaf 
may  be  further  advanced.  On  the  large  plantations  a  vast 
amount  of  tobacco  is  grown,  in  some  instances  equaling  the 
entire  product  of  some  of  the  tobacco-growing  towns  in  the 
Connecticut  Valley.  The  tobacco  is  packed  in  hogsheads, 
each  one  containing  twelve  hundred  pounds,  the  same  as  in 
Virginia  and  Missouri. 

The  Kentucky  planter  prides  himself  on  the  superior 
quality  of  tobacco,  as  well  as  his  famous  blooded  stock.  If 
there  is  anything  more  remarkable  than  the  high  character 
of  the  latter,  it  must  certainly  be  the  renowned  plant  which 
has  given  the  wealthy  planters  of  Kentucky  a  national  popu- 
larity among  all  cultivators  of  tobacco.  The  Kentuckians  are 
thorough  in  all  of  their  methods  of  cultivation,  and  with  the 
first  stock  and  tobacco  farms  in  the  country  bid  fair  to  achieve 
still  further  honors  as  "  tillers  of  the  soil."  Possessed  of 
the  largest  means,  they  have  brought  their  farms  up  to  a  high 
state  of  cultivation,  and  produce  in  their  famous  valleys  the 
very  finest  of  Nature's  products. 

Kentucky  planters  are  men  of  the  largest  endowments  ; 
Nature,  in  her  gifts  to  them  has  been  most  lavish,  and  the 
princely  fortunes  which  they  have  acquired  shows  how  well 
they  have  benefited  by  her  munificence.  In  manners  afiable, 
and  in  benevolence  unsui*passed,  the  Kentucky  planter  gains 
the  plaudits  of  all.  He  is  polite  to  both  friend  and  foe,  and 
possessed  with  all  of  that  polished  manner  which  marks  the 
true  gentleman,  and  especially  all  growers  of  the  "  kingly 
plant."    Easy  of  approach,  he  has  still  that  reservie  that  bids 


334 


TRAITS  OF  CHARACTER. 


all  sycopliants  mark  well  their  conduct  and  demeanor.  On 
the  plantation  or  at  the  race,  the  Kentuckian  is  ever  in  his 
best  mood  for  recreation  and  enjoyment. 

His  attachment  for  the  horse  has  developed  qualities  of 
patience  and  thoroughness  that  are  shown  elsewhere  than  on 

the  "  course."  Benefit- 
ing by  years  of  training 
and  study,  the  success 
that  follows  his  efforts 
shows  at  once  that  such 
talents  are  not  confined 
to  a  single  field  of  op- 
erations. In  many  re- 
spects like  the  Virginia 
planter,  they  differ 
somewhat  in  their  taste 
in  all  that  pertains  to 
the  turf  and  the  field. 
But  we  would  not  lose 
sight,  among  his  many 
noble  traits  of  charac- 
ter, of  that  love  of  his 
State  that  pre-eminent- 
ly characterizes  the  Kentuckian.  He  is  justly  proud  of  her 
soil  and  of  her  sons,  and  whether  in  the  halls  of  Congress 
or  on  the  field  of  carnage  and  blood,  fears  not  to  maintain 
the  honor  and  safety  of  the  one  and  the  other. 

It  is  surprising  to  one  acquainted  with  the  growth  of  to- 
bacco and  the  value  of  the  Southern  States  for  its  production 
that  so  small  an  area  of  land  is  devoted  to  its  culture  in 
Georgia,  Florida  and  Louisiana.  "When  owned  by  Spain, 
West  Florida  was  noted  for  its  tobacco,  and  produced  large 
quantities  which  were  exported  to  Spain  and  France.  The 
soil  of  Florida  is  well  adapted  for  tobacco,  and  the  rich  hum- 
mock lands  produce  an  excellent  quality  for  cigars,  not  unlike 
Havana  leaf.  Its  cultivation  has  been  tried  in  various  parts 
of  the  State,  but  the  result  has  not  warranted  its  cultivation 


THE    KENTUCKY    PLANTER. 


FLORIDA  TOBACCO.  335 

to  any  great   extent  excepting   in  Gadsden  County  where 
the  plant  flourishes  as  well  as  in  Cuba. 

The  seed  used  in  Havana  and  the  plant  resembles  it  so 
closely  that  even  Cuban  planters  cannot  distinguish  it  from 
that  grown  on  the  island.  The  mode  of  cultivation  is  nearly 
the  same,  and  the  soil  is  said  to  produce  a  leaf  of  tobacco 
similar  to  that  of  the  celebrated  Vuelta  de  Albajo.  For- 
merly the  product  was  sent  to  New  Orleans,  and  the  leaf 
was  pronounced  by  some  dealers  to  be  bitter,  but  most  of 
them  considered  it  valuable.  The  planter  selects  the  high 
lands  or  hummocks,  the  soil  of  which  is  light  and  rich  for 
the  tobacco  field.  The  plants  are  carefully  drawn  from  the 
bed,  and  transplanted  afterwards.  The  mode  of  culture  is 
to  plow  between  the  rows  and  hoe  the  plants  carefully. 

A  Florida  tobacco  field  in  appearance  is  not  unlike  a  vega^ 
or  Cuba  tobacco  field ;  the  same  luxuriant  growth  of  the 
forest  may  be  seen  on  every  hand,  and  the  "queen  of  herbs" 
grows  underneath  or  near  the  fragrant  Orange  and  the  stately 
Magnolia.  The  soil  of  Gadsden  County  is  in  some  re- 
spects unlike  that  of  the  rest  of  the  State  in  that  there  is  an 
entire  absence  of  limestone,  which  is  found  elsewhere  afl 
through  Florida.  The  climate  of  the  State  is  well  adapted 
for  the  growth  of  tobacco,  and  is  less  changeable  on  the  Gulf 
side  than  along  the  Atlantic  coast. 

Formerly  larger  crops  were  raised  than  now.  Under  the 
old  regime  when  on  every  plantation  were  a  score  or  more  of 
idle  negro  urchins,  a  large  portion  of  the  labor  could  be  per- 
formed by  them,  such  as  worming,  dropping  the  plants,  and 
picking  up  the  primings,  while  now  the  labor  has  to  be  paid 
for  in  money  or  its  equivalent.  At  this  time,  the  "wrapper 
leaf"  was  considered  to  be  among  the  best  for  cigars,  and 
brought  high  prices.  In  the  days  of  slavery,  tobacco  was 
considered  to  be  as  profitable  as  the  cotton  crop,  and  good 
tobacco  plantations  were  considered  to  be  the  most  valuable 
in  the  State. 

This  peculiar  tobacco  region  is  without  doubt  capable,  with 
proper  management,  of  producing  a  superior  article  for  cigars, 


336  FLORIDA  PLANTATION. 

both  wrappers  and  fillers,  and  when  grown  on  "  new  ground  " 
the  staple  is  exceedingly  fine.  The  leaf  cures  as  rapidly,  and 
is  of  as  good  color  as  in  Cuba,  and  in  a  favorable  season 
and  when  harvested  fully  ripe,  is  destitute  of  that  bitter 
taste  formerly  ascribed  to  it.  The  plants  grow  large,  and 
have  that  smooth,  shiny  appearance  peculiar  to  Havana  to- 


FLOBIDA  TOBACCO  PLANTATION. 


bacco,  the  leaves  growing  erect,  and  frequently  covered  with 
*'  specks "  or  "  white  rust,"  one  of  the  best  evidences  of  a 
fine  flavored  and  a  good-burning  tobacco.  A  Florida  tobacco- 
grower  gives  the  following  account  of  the  plant : 

"  The  Gadsden  '  wrapper-leaf  was  always  in  high  repute, 
and  extensively  used  in  the  manufacture  of  cigars,  being  in 
size,  firmness,  and  texture  fully  equal  to  the  best  Cuba,  and 
far  superior  to  the  Connecticut  seed-leaf.  Where  the  variety 
known  as  the  Cuba  filler  has  been  tried,  it  has  succeeded 
finely  in  this  county,  possessing  that  delicate  and  peculiar 
aroma  so  highly  prized  in  the  Havana  cigars.  We  need  but 
the  capital  to  make  the  most  profitable  crop  that  is  grown. 
It  is  a  fact,  that  of  all  the  counties  of  the  State,  many  of 
them  abounding  in  the  very  finest  soil,  Gadsden  is  the  only 
one  that  has  succeeded  in  making  the  Cuba  tobacco  a  staple 
market-crop.  Prior  to  1860  it-  rivaled  in  net  returns  the 
great  staple  cotton,  and  from  present  indications,  it  is  about 


SUPERIOR  QUALITY  OF  TOBACCO.         337 

to  resume  its  former  status  among  the  great  agricultural 
products  of  the  country." 

"  Whether  this  success  is  attributahle  to  any  peculiarity 
in  the  elements  of  the  soil,  I  am  not  able  to  determine,  but 
this  fact  is  wortliy  of  note,  that,  except  immediately  on  the 
banks  of  the  Apalachicola  River,  which  forms  the  Western 
boundary  of  the  County,  there  is  an  entire  absence  of  the 
rotten  limestone  which  so  largely  pervades  the  other  sections 
of  the  State.  For  the  planter  of  limited  means,  there  is  no 
crop  so  well  suited  to  his  condition  as  the  Cuba  tobacco. 
To  produce  a  given  result  there  is  a  less  area  of  land  required 
than  is  demanded  for  the  production  of  any  other  field  crop. 
The  cultivation,  harvesting,  and  preparation  for  market  is 
simple,  and  the  labor  so  light  that  it  may  be  participated  in 
by  every  member  of  the  family,  male  and  female,  over  six 
years  of  age.  The  growth  of  the  plant  is  so  rapid,  and  its 
arrival  at  maturity  so  quick,  that  it  never  interferes  with  any 
of  the  provision  crops,  and  rarely  with  a  moderate  cotton 
crop." 

In  Louisiana  the  tobacco  plant  flourishes  well  and  grows  as 
well  and  as  luxuriantly  as  sugar  cane.  Even  along  the  banks 
of  the  Mississippi  the  plants  attain  good  size,  and  succeed  as 
finely  as  in  some  of  the  other  parishes  in  the  interior  of  the 
State.  The  Perique  and  Louisiana  tobacco  are  the  principal 
varieties  cultivated,  and  attain  nearly  the  size  of  Connecticut 
seed  leaf.  In  St.  James  parish  the  soil  seems  well  adapted 
for  Perique  tobacco,  and  here  it  readily  takes  on  that  black 
hue  that  is  one  of  the  peculiar  features  of  this  singular 
variety.  In  Coddo  parish  tobacco  is  cultivated  to  some 
extent,  but  does  not  produce  a  leaf  equal  to  that  grown  in 
St.  James  Parish.  The  tobacco  grown  in  the  Parishes  of 
Bossier  and  Natchitoches  is  used  chiefly  by  the  growers  of 
the  parishes  and  is  fitted  for  both  smoking  and  snufi". 

The  Louisiana  planters  have  adopted  the  method  of  the 
French  in  doing  up  their  tobacco — twisting  it  in  rolls,  or  as 
the  French  call  them,  "  Carrots."  The  planters  of  St.  James 
Parish  annually  put  up  from  ten  to  fourteen  thousand  car- 
rots of  Perique,  each  carrot  weighing  about  four  pounds, 

Mr.  Perique,  from  whom  the  tobacco  takes  its  name,  made 
many  improvements  in  the  manner  of  preparing  the  tobacco 
22 


338 


TOBACCO  IN  LOUISIANA. 


for  market,  one  of  which  consisted  in  taking  up  the  twisted 
lumps  (after  remaining  in  press  for  six  months),  spreading 
them  to  fifteen  or  sixteen  inches  in  length  and  having  com- 
pleted four  pounds  in  weight,  rolling  it  into  a  lump  which 
retained  its  shape  by  means  of  a  rope  one-fourth  inch  in 
diameter,  tightly  twisted  around  it.  The  labor  in  pressing 
and  twisting  is  entirely  done  by  hand,  and  attended  to  with 
the  most  scrupulous  care. 

The  Creole  planters  sometimes  raise  two,  and  even  three 
crops  on  the  same  field,  two  of  them  being  the  growths  of 


LOUISIANA   TOBACCO   PLANTATION. 


suckers  or  shoots  from  the  parent  stock  or  stump.  The 
growers  of  Perique  tobacco  have  tested  Havana  seed,  but  can 
see  but  little  difference  between  the  product  and  that  from 
Virginia  or  Kentucky  tobacco  seed,  while  tiie  growth  is  much 
smaller.  In  color  Louisiana  tobacco  is  very  dark,  entirely 
different  from  any  other  variety  grown  in  the  Mississippi 
valley. 

Some  few  years  since  tobacco  culture  was  introduced  into 
California,  and  the  belief  then  entertained  by  those  who 
planted  the  consoling  weed,  that  the  state  would  soon  become 
as  famous  for  raising  tobacco  as  she  now  is  for  producing 


CALIFORNIA  TOBACCO  LANDS.  339 

wheat  and  gold  seem  likely  to  be  realized.  The  soil  and 
climate  of  California  are  admirably  adapted  for  tobacco.  In 
the  valleys  the  land  is  a  deep  alluvial  loam,  easily  worked, 
producing  bountiful  crops  of  the  finest  leaf  tobacco.  The 
planters  have  experimented  with  several  varieties,  including 
Havana,  Florida,  Latakia,  Hungarian,  Mexican,  Virginia, 
Connecticut,  Standard  and  White  leaf.  Large  crops  are 
grown,  especially  of  Florida  tobacco,  which,  with  careful 
culture,  produces  two  thousand  five  hundred  pounds  of 
merchantable  leaf  to  the  acre.  The  planters  get  their 
Havana  seed  from  Cuba,  preferring  to  do  so  rather  than  to 
risk  the  seed  from  their  own  plants.  At  first  they  used 
home-grown  seed  and  could  not  see  any  serious  deterioration 
or  change  in  the  quality  of  the  tobacco,  but  a  singular  change 
in  the  form  of  the  leaf  took  place.  That  from  home-grown 
seed  grew  longer,  and  the  veins  or  ribs,  which  in  Havana 
tobacco  stand  out  at  right  angles  from  the  leaf  stalks  took  an 
acute  angle,  and  thus  became  longer  and  made  up  a  greater 
part  of  the  leaf.  Of  Florida  tobacco  the  home-grown  seed 
comes  true. 

Tobacco  is  now  being  tested  in  the  several  counties  in  the 
State  and  with  every  promise  of  success.  Many  of  the 
ranches  seem  well  adapted  for  the  plant  and  the  planters  are 
confident  by  their  new  process  of  curing,  of  being  able  to 
produce  an  article  equal  to  the  best  Havana  brand.  The 
plants  attain  a  remarkable  size,  and  grow  up  like  many  kinds 
of  tropical  vegetation,  without  much  care  being  bestowed 
upon  them,  although  the  plants  are  regularly  cultivated  and 
hoed.  The  planters  are  not  troubled  with  that  foe  of  most 
tobacco  fields,  "  the  worm."  They  attribute  this  in  part  to 
the  excellence  of  their  soil  and  partly  to  the  abundance  of 
birds  and  yellow  jackets.  The  planters  do  not  always  "  top  " 
the  Havana  and  do  very  little  "  suckering."  If  the  ground 
is  rich,  and  free  from  weeds  they  let  one  of  the  suckers  from 
that  root  grow,  and  thus  become  almost  as  large  and  heavy 
as  the  original  plant.  They  believe  that  the  soil  is  strong 
enough  to  bear  the  plants  and  suckers,  and  that  they  get  a 
better  leaf  and  finer  quality  without  suckering. 


340  HUMOROUS  FEATURES, 

In  summer  the  roads  are  very  dusty  in  California,  and  this 
dust  is  a  disadvantage  to  the  tobacco  planter.  On  some  of 
the  plantations  double  rows  of  shade  trees  are  planted  along 
the  main  roads,  and  gravel  is  spread  on  the  interior  roads ; 
and  to  protect  the  fields  of  tobacco  from  the  high  winds 
which  sweep  through  the  California  valley,  almonds  and 
cottonwoods  are  planted  for  wind-breaks  in  the  fields. 

Some  of  the  planters  employ  Chinese  to  cultivate  the 
plants,  who  are  very  careful  in  hoeing  and  weeding  the 
tobacco,  living  an  apparently  jolly  life  in  shanties  near  the 
fields.  A  witty  California  correspondent  of  the  Tobacco 
Zeo/"  writes  concerning  the  early  cultivation  of  tobacco  in 
that  State : 

"  We  are  doing  a  great  many  other  things  in  California 
now  besides  raising  grain,  fruit,  wine,  wool,  and  gold.  We 
are  doing  a  lively  business  in  tobacco.  Fifteen  years  ago  I 
was  down  East  on  one  occasion  when  they  were  gathering 
the  tobacco  crop — which  goes  to  New  York,  and,  by  a  pro- 
cess equal  to  wine  making,  becomes  Havana  tobacco.  It 
struck  me  that  this  country  was  admirably  adapted  to  its 
cultivation,  and  I  brought  back  some  seed,  which  I  gave  to 
a  friend  living  on  the  bank  of  the  Sacramento  River, 
instructing  him  to  plant  it  as  per  direction  given  me.  We 
sat  down  and  calculated  the  immense  fortune  we  would 
make  raising  tobacco,  if  the  experiment  was  a  success.  A 
week  later  my  friend,  who  was  an  impatient  sort  of  a  fellow, 
wrote  me  just  a  line — '  No  results.'  I  replied,  and  asked  him 
if  he  expected  a  crop  of  tobacco  in  seven  days.  A  few  weeks 
later  he  wrote,  '  Here  she  comes  ; '  two  weeks  later,  '  How 
big  is  the  stuff  to  be  ? '  two  weeks  later,  '  Not  room  for 
tobacco  and  me  too.  Who  shall  quit  ? '  I  heard  no  more  for  a 
month  and  thought  I  would  go  up  and  see  it,  I  did  so,  and 
the  steamboat  landed  me  at  my  friend's  ranch.  I  could  not 
Bee  the  house,  and  hallooed.  I  heard  an  answer  from  the 
depths,  and  then  following  a  path,  I  found  my  friend  swing- 
ing in  a  hammock  in  the  shade  of  a  grove  of  tobacco  trees. 
I  desire  to  maintain  my  reputation  for  truth  and  veracity,  so 
necessary  to  a  correspondent,  so  I  won't  say  how  big  or  how 
high  those  tobacco  plants  were ;  but  my  friend's  hammock 
was  slung  from  them — and  he  was  no  feather-weight — the 
leaves  completely  embowered  the  cottage.  I  congratulated 
him  on  the  results — such  a  grove  and   such  a  shade— -and 


MEXICAN   TOBACCO.  341 

moreover  I  said, '  You  will  be  permaneutly  rid  of  mosquitoes.' 
'  Will  I ! '  said  he.  '  Do  you  know  that  these  gallinippers 
have  learned  to  chew  already,  and  the  habit  is  spreading  so 
that  all  the  old  he-fellows  are  coming  down  from  Marysville 
to  take  a  hand.'  I  inquired  if  my  friend  had  cured  any  or 
smoked  any.  He  pointed  to  a  Manyanita  pipe  split  open  on 
the  ground,  and  said.  '  Before  it  was  real  strong,  some  three 
weeks  ago,  I  tried  a  leaf  in  that  pipe.  Observe  the  result — 
busted  it  the  second  whiflF,  and  knocked  me  off  the  log  I  was 
sitting  on.'  Such  was  the  first  experiment  in  tobacco  rais- 
ing in  California.  But  now  they  have  learned  the  trick. 
They  have  searched  the  State  for  the  poorest  and  most  bar- 
ren soil,  and,  having  found  it  are  cultivating  a  splendid 
article  of  genuine  Havana  leaf  tobacco,  manufacturing  cigars 
as  good  as  you  get  one  time  in  twenty  even  in  Havana,  mak- 
ing several  brands  of  smoking  tobacco,  and,  lastly,  an  article 
of  Louisiana  perique,  ('  peruke '  proper,)  that  any  old 
smoker  would  go  into  ecstasies  over,  fully  equal,  it  is  said  to 
the  genuine  old-fashioned  article,  and  that  is  saying  a  good 
deal.  Now  if  we  can  supply  the  world  with  cigars  and 
tobacco,  we  have  got  a  dead  sure  thing  for  the  future,  even 
if  gold  gives  out,  grain  fails  and  the  pigs  eat  up  all  the  fruit. 
Your  people  who  have  been  paying  fifteen  cents  apiece 
for  genuine  Havana  cigars  imported  direct  from — Connecti- 
cut, should  rejoice  and  join  in  an  earnest  hooray  f  " 

In  Mexico  the  tobacco  plantations  exhibit  a  diversity  of 
scenery  not  met  with  in  other  portions  of  America.  The 
soil  is  well  adapted  for  the  crop,  and  on  many  of  the  planta- 
tions in  the  Gulf  States  the  plant  grows  as  finely  as  on  any 
of  the  vegas  of  Cuba.  The  Mexicans  are  among  the  best 
cultivators  of  the  plant  in  the  world,  and,  like  the  Turks, 
prefer  its  culture  to  that  of  any  product  grown.  The  plant 
is  a  strong,  vigorous  grower,  and  ripens  early,  emitting  an 
odor  like  that  of  Havana  tobacco.  The  climate  is  so  favora- 
ble that  from  one  to  three  crops  can  be  grown  on  the  same 
field  in  one  year,  and  yield  a  bountiful  harvest  without  seem- 
ingly impoverishing  the  soil.*  Transplanted  in  the  summer 
or  autumn,  the  plants  grow  through  the  winter  months,  and 

■"Shepard  says  of  the  coUivatlon  of  tobacco  by  the  Indians :— "  The  tobacco  which  Is  raised 
on  the  Tehuantepec  Isthmus  is  said,  by  eood  judges,  to  rival  that  of  Cuba,  and  commands, 
in  the  capital,  equal  prices  with  the  for-fanied  Havana.  It  is  cultivated  bv  the  Indians, 
whose  fields,  or 'jniiprts,*  according  to  Indian  custom,  are  situated  at  some  distance  from 
their  villages,  often  In  the  depths  of  the  forest.  Upon  these  little  patches  they  bestow 
whatever  labor  Is  consistent  with  dislike  for  exertion,  leaving  the  rich  soil  to  accomplisti 
the  balance." 


342 


MONOPOLY  OF  THE  TOBACCO  TRADE. 


in  spring  are  gathered  and  taken  to  the  sheds.  Sartoriue,  in 
his  work  on  Mexico,  says  of  its  culture  on  the  plantation : — 
"  Various  kinds  of  tobacco  are  planted,  mostly  that  with 
the  short,  dingy,  yellow  blossoms,  which  has  a  very  large^ 
strong  leaf.  But  there  is  little  doubt  that  the  sorts  would 
be  more  carefully  selected,  if  the  trade  were  not  fettered  by 
the  monopoly.  Most  of  the  government  planters  enter  into 
an  arrangement  with  the  small  farmers  and  peasants  who 
have  to  grow  a  certain  number  of  plants,  on  condition  of 
handing  over  the  harvest  at  a  low  figure — six  to  eight  dollars 
per  crop.  These  (wiados  receive  something  in  advance,  and 
their  chief  profit  consists  in  securing  the  sand  leaf  and  the 


MEXICAN  TOBACCO  PLANTATION. 


greater  part  of  the  after-harvest,  which  they  sell  to  the  con- 
trabandists. It  is  indeed  allowed  to  export  whatever  remains ; 
but  it  is  attended  with  so  many  annoyances  from  the  author- 
ities, that  it  is  never  attempted.  The  many  ships  which 
enter  the  Mexican  harbor  of  the  east  coast  with  European 
manufactures,  find  no  return  freight  except  gold  and  silver, 
cochineal,  vanilla,  a  few  drugs  and  goat  skins,  all  of  which 
take  up  very  little  room  in  the  ships  (money  is  usually  sent 


PLANTS  AROUND  VERA  CRUZ.  343 

off  in  the  English  government  steamers) ;  consequently  they 
must  either  proceed  to  Laguna  to  buy  log- wood,  or  they  must 
take  ill  sugar,  coffee,  or  tobacco,  in  a  Cuban  or  Haytian  port. 
As  soon  as  tobacco  becomes  an  export  article,  its  cultivation 
must  increase  immensely  in  the  Coast  States,  the  Mexican 
being  very  partial  to  this  branch  of  agriculture,  which  occu- 
pies him  part  of  the  year  only." 

Mayer  also  alludes  as  follows  to  the  same  subject : — 

"  A  large  portion  of  the  tobacco  sold  in  the  republic  is 
contraband;  for  the  ridiculous  and  greedy  restrictions  and 
exactions  with  which  a  plant  of  such  universal  consumption 
is  surrounded,  necessarily  disposes  the  people  to  violate  laws 
which  they  feel  were  only  made  to  impair  their  rights  of 
production  and  trade  under  a  constitution  professing  to  be 
free." 

The  government  planters  in  the  State  of  Vera  Cruz  "have 
large,  fine  plantations,  and  the  plants  are  carefully  tended 
and  cultivated  as  in  all  countries  where  tobacco  is  a  govern- 
ment monopoly.  On  each  plant  a  certain  number  of  leaves 
are  taken  off,  including  the  sand  leaf,  which  is  thrown  away, 
and  everything  in  the  way  of  topping  and  suckering  performed 
as  carefully  as  on  the  tobacco  farms  in  Cuba.  The  small 
farmers  who  raise  only  a  few  thousand  plants  are  not  as 
careful  as  the  large  planters,  and  are  sometimes  guilty  of 
planting  more  than  the  number  agreed  upon,  while  the 
mountain  passes  towards  the  table-land  are  carefully  guarded 
to  prevent  smuggling  of  the  crop,  which  is  far  more  remu- 
nerative than  selling  to  the  government. 

We  will  now  take  the  reader  to  the  primitive  tobacco 
plantations  of  America  about  the  middle  of  the  Sixteenth 
Century.  The  plantations  were  not  located  in  Cuba  as  many 
have  supposed  but  what  has  been  variously  named  Hispanio- 
la,  Hayti,  and  St.  Domingo.  It  was  in  this  island  that  the 
Spaniards  first  began  the  cultivation  of  tobacco  and  inaugu- 
rated (under  the  guise  of  Christianity)  that  career  of 
monstrous  cruelty,  with  which  their  insatiable  appetite  for 
the  burning  of  heretics  and  for  the  baiting  of  bulls  so  well 
accords.  In  1509,  Diego  Columbus,  the  eldest  son  of  the  great 
discoverer,  assumed  in  St.  Domingo,  or  as  it  was  then  called, 


344  EARLY  TOBACCO  PLANTATIONS. 

Hispaniola,  the  vice-regal  powers  which  had  been  intrusted  to 
him.  Diego  as  portrayed  by  the  historian  "  was  a  man  as 
noble  as  his  father,  and  almost  as  gifted ;  and  he  had  hia 
father's  fate.  Like  his  father,  he  had  to  bear  all  that  Spanish 
envy  and  Spanish  malignity  could  inflict.  In  1511,  Diego 
Columbus  sent  Diego  Velasquez  to  conquer  Cuba."  From 
historians  Velasquez  gets  a  better  character  than  most  of  the 
Conquistador es J  who  in  general  were  as  ferocious  as  they 
were  audacious  and  fortunate.  No  serious  opposition  was  or 
could  be  offered.  With  the  name  of  Velasquez  the  prosper- 
ity of  Cuba  is  inseparably  identified.  As  Governor  of  Cuba 
he  was  a  vigorous  colonizer  and  civilizer.  He  founded 
Havana,  which  he  called  the  Key  of  the  New  World,  and 
which  is  said  to  rank  as  the  eighth  place  in  the  hierarchy  of 
commercial  cities.  Havana,  however  had  long  been  flourish- 
ing before  the  seat  of  Government  had  been  transferred  to  it 
from  Santiago.  It  was  Velasquez  who  introduced  slavery 
into  Cuba ;  and  it  was  during  his  vice-royalty  and  under  his 
sanction  that  those  memorable  exploratory  and  conquering 
expeditions  began,  the  most  astonishing  of  which  was  that  to 
Mexico,  led  by  Cortez,  the  insubordinate  lieutenant  of  Velas- 
quez, whose  death  is  said  to  have  been  hastened  by  the 
rebellious  and  ungrateful  conduct  of  Cortez,  and  perhaps  by 
the  spectacle  of  such  immense  and  rapid  success.  The  agri- 
cultural, commercial,  and  general  growth  of  the  West  India 
islands  at  this  period  would  have  been  much  more  rapid  if 
the  Spaniards  had  not  annihilated  the  native  population,  and 
if  they  had  not  been  exposed  to  incessant  piratical  attacks. 
These  were  often  of  the  most  desolating  kind.  In  1688,  the 
city  of  Puerto  Principe  was  plundered  and  destroyed. 
From  its  strongly  fortified  position  Havana'  set  the  bucca- 
neers at  defiance,  and  sometimes  saved  the  whole  island  from 
ruin. 

The  exact  period  of  the  first  cultivation  of  tobacco  in  St. 
Domingo  is  not  known,  but  we  find  that  as  early  as  1535  the 
negroes  had  habituated  themselves  to  the  use  of  it  in  the 
plantations  of  their  master.  Soon  however  its  cultivation 
increased,  and  during  the  latter  part  of  the  Sixteenth  Century 


TOBACCO  IN  ST.  DOMINGO. 


345 


the  Spaniards  shipped  vast  quantities  to  Europe,  a  very  largo 
amount  of  which  found  its  way  to  England,  where  it  brought 
fabulous  prices.  The  Spaniards,  by  the  application  of  the 
lash  and  other  cruelties,  extorted  from  the  negroes  an  amount 


ST.    DOMINGO   TOBACCO    FIELD,  1535. 

of  labor  never  equaled  by  any  other  task  masters  ii^  the  world. 
Forcing  these  slaves  to  labor  on  the  plantations  from  morning 
until  night,  with  the  fierce  rays  of  a  tropical  sun  shining  fuU 
upon  their  uncovered  backs,  and  goaded  on  to  the  perform- 
ance of  the  severest  toil,  is  it  any  wonder  that  the  haughty 
cavaliers  of  Spain  grew  rich  from  their  industry,  and  feasted 
on  the  products  of  the  Indies.  Cultivated  on  the  rich  soil  of 
this  fertile  island,  the  tobacco  of  St.  Domingo  had  no  com- 
petitor, until  the  Spaniards  began  its  culture  a  little  later  on 
the  island  of  Trinidad,  the  product  of  which  in  time  stood  at 
the  head  of  all  the  tobaccos  of  the  Indies  and  of  South 
America.  The  tobacco  trade  at  this  time  was  wholly  con- 
trolled by  the  Spaniards,  who,  though  successful  in  this 
direction,  made  but  slow  progress  in  colonization.  Compared 
with  the  British  colonies  in  the  New  "World,  the  Spanish 
possessions  were  weak  and  incompetent,  and  for  all  their 
advantages  in  their  great  product,  it  was  ultimately  rivaled 


346 


CUBAN  PLANTATION. 


by  the  English  Colonial  tobacco.  In  the  conquest  of  the 
New  World,  Spanish  energy  and  enterprise  seem  to  have 
exhausted  themselves;  and  as  Spain  was  declining,  its 
colonies  could  not  be  expected  rapidly  to  advance.  The 
history  of  the  Spanish  conquest  in  America  is  a  record  of 
cruelty  and  of  blood,  while  that  of  English  colonization  is 
marked  by  English  rigor  and  enterprise,  and  is  one  of  suc- 
cessful daring  and  ultimate  triumph. 

The  West  India  plantations,  however,  were  still  worked,  and 
for  more  than  a  century  St.  Domingo  yielded  a  vast  amount 
of  tobacco,  until  the  soil  of  Cuba  was  found  to  be  better 
adapted  for  its  production  than  any  other  of  the  West  India 
islands,  not  excepting  even  the  island  of  Trinidad. 

Hazard,  in  his  work  on  Cuba,  describes  the  celebrated  vegas 
or  tobacco  plantations,  of  the  island  as  follows : 

"  The  best  properties  known  as  vegas,  or  tobacco  farms, 
are  comprised  in  a  narrow  area  in  the  south-west  part  of  the 
island,  about  twenty-seven  leagues  broad.  Near  the  western 
extremity  of  the  Island  of  Cuba,  on  the  southern  coast,  is 
found  one  of  the  finest  tobaccos  in  the  world.  Within  a 
space  of  seventy-three  miles  long  and  eighteen  miles  wide, 
grows  the  plant  that  stands  as  eminent  among  tobacco  plants 


A  CUBAN  vega. 


as  the  lordly  Johannisberger  among  the  wines  of  the  Rhine. 
Shut  in   on   the  north  by  mountains,   and   south-west  by 


METHOD  OF  WORKING.  34,7 

the  ocean,  Pinar  del  Rio  being  the  principal  point  in  the 
district.  These  vegas  are  found  generally  on  the  margins  of 
rivers,  or  in  low,  moist  localities,  their  ordinary  size  being 
not  more  than  a  cohalleria,  which  amounts  to  about  thirty- 
three  acres  of  our  measurement.  The  half  of  this  is  also 
most  frequently  devoted  to  the  raising  of  the  vegetable  known 
as  ih^platano  (banana),  which  may  be  said  to  be  the  bread  of 
the  lower  classes.  A  lew  other  small  vegetables  are  raised. 
The  usual  buildings  upon  such  places  are  a  dwelling  house,  a 
drying-house,  a  few  sheds  for  cattle,  and  perhaps  a  small 
hohio  (hut),or  two,  made  in  the  rudest  manner,  for  the  shelter 
of  the  hands,  who,  upon  some  of  the  very  largest  places 
number  twenty  or  thirty,  though  not  always  negroes — for  this 
portion  of  the  labor  of  the  island  seems  to  be  performed  by 
the  lower  classes  of  whites.  Some  of  the  places  that  are 
large  have  a  mayoral,  as  he  is  called,  a  man  whose  business  it 
is  to  look  after  the  negroes,  and  direct  the  agricultural 
labors;  but,  as  a  general  thing,  the  planter,  who  is  not 
always  the  owner  of  the  property,  but  simply  the  lessee,  lives 
upon,  directs,  and  governs  the  place. 

"  Guided  by  the  results  of  a  long  experience  transmitted 
from  his  ancestors  (says  a  Spanish  author),  the  farmer  knows, 
without  being  able  to  explain  himself,  the  means  of  augment- 
ing or  diminishing  the  strength  or  the  mildness  of  the 
tobacco.  His  right  hand,  as  if  guided  by  an  instinct,  foresees 
what  buds  it  is  necessary  to  take  oflF  in  order  to  put  a  limit  to 
the  increase  or  height,  and  what  amount  of  trimming  is 
necessary  to  give  a  chance  to  the  proper  quantity  of  leaves. 
But  the  principal  care,  and  that  which  occupies  him  in  his 
waking  hours,  is  the  extermination  of  the  voracious  insects 
that  persecute  the  plant.  One  called  cachaga  domesticates 
itself  at  the  foot  of  the  leaves  ;  the  verde,  on  the  under  side 
of  the  leaves ;  the  rosquilla,  in  the  heart  of  the  plant ;  all  of 
them  doing  more  or  less  damage.  The  planter  passes  entire 
nights,  provided  with  lights,  clearing  the  buds  just  opening, 
of  these  destructive  insects.  He  has  even  to  carry  on  a  war 
with  still  worse  enemies, — the  vivijagnas,  a  species  of  large, 
native  ants,  that  are  to  the  tobacco  what  the  locust  is  to  the 
wheat.  This  plague  is  so  great,  at  times,  that  prayers  and 
special  adoration  are  offered  up  to  San  Marcial  to  intercede 
against  the  plague  of  ants. 

"  The  plant,  whose  original  name  was  cohiba,  seems  to  have 
been  cultivated  first  by  Europeans  on  the  island  in  the 
vicinity  of  Havana.     The  island  of  Cuba  is  without  doubt 


348  FINANCIAL  EMBARRASSMENT. 

well  adapted  for  the  cultivation  of  tobacco — the  soil,  climate, 
and  improved  methods  of  culture  all  tend  to  the  production 
of  a  leaf  tobacco  as  celebrated  as  it  is  valuable. 

"  Between   the  '  Lower  Yalley,'  in  the  Nicotian,  not  the 


KILLING   BUGS   BY    NIGHT. 


geographical,  sense  of  these  words,  lie  the  so-called  Partidos 
which  produce  the  tobacco  that  is  sent  to  Europe  as  Partido 
or  Cahanas.  The  leaf  often  sui-passes  that  of  the  '  Lower 
Valley '  in  size  and  fineness,  as  well  as  in  the  beauty  of  the 
color;  but  it  is  inferior  in  quality.  The  tobacco  farmers 
though  stalwart  fellows  are  not  fond  of  work,  and  too  often 
waste  their  time  at  the  tavern.  Many  of  them  from  thrift- 
lessness  are  plunged  into  debt ;  and  scarcely  is  the  harvest 
ended  when  they  borrow  money  from  the  tobacco  merchant 
on  the  following  harvest,  who  thereby  obtains  the  right  to 
interfere,  it  may  be  despotically,  with  the  matiagement  of 
the  crop.  Continual  embarrassments  tempt  the  tobacco 
planters  to  be  dishonest.  To  cheat  their  creditors,  they  often 
sell  the  best  part  of  the  crop  in  underhand  fashion.  Such  of 
the  tobacco  farmers  as  wish  to  produce  a  great  deal  of  tobacco, 
without  regard  to  the  excellence  of  the  article,  leave  the 
plant  to  its  natural  growth,  which  is  both  scientifically  and 
otherwise  objectionable,  for  it  is  on  a  process  of  thinning  and 
pruning  a  due  diffusion  of  sap  in  the  leaves  depends,  and 
consequently  the  quality  of  the  tobacco." 


SOIL  AND  CLIMATE. 


349 


The  tobacco,  after  being  being  baled,  is  sent  to  the  Havana 
market.  The  bales  of  tobacco  are  carried  on  the  backs  of 
mules  or  horses  to  the  city  or  to  the  nearest  railway  station. 

"  In  the  long  line  or  train  of  mules  or  horses,  the  head  of 
one  mule  or  horse  is  tied  to  the  tail  of  the  one  before  it. 


5^-^ 


GOING    TO  MARKET. 


On  the  back  of  the  foremost  sits  the  driver.  The  hindmost 
carries  a  bell,  which  enables  the  driver  to  know  whether  any 
of  the  animals  have  broken  loose." 

From  the  description  given  by  Hazard  of  Cuba,  its  soil, 
climate,  and  other  resources,  it  will  readily  be  seen  by  all 
acquainted  with  the  tobacco  plant  that  this  famous  island  is 
well  adapted  for  the  production  of  a  tobacco  that  for  fineness 
and  delicacy  of  flavor  is  hardly  rivaled.  With  the  peculiar 
composition  of  the  soil,  and  with  a  climate  well  adapted  for 
the  perfection  of  all  kinds  of  tropical  plants  and  fruits,  it  can 
hardly  be  imagined  that  any  finer  variety  of  tobacco  can  be 
grown  than  that  produced  in  Cuba  and  the  adjoining  islands. 
Doubtless  the  climate  of  Cuba  is  nearly  the  same  as  when 


350  TOBACCO  GROWING  IN  GERMANY. 

Columbus  discovered  the  island,  and  wrote  in  such  extrava- 
gant language  its  praise.  The  soil  of  Cuba  is  prolific,  and 
the  variety  of  tropical  plants  and  fruits  grown  upon  the 
island  is  quite  remarkable.  Nowhere  is  this  seen  to  a  greater 
extent  than  in  the  varieties  of  tobacco  cultivated.  Although 
there  are  several  kinds  and  qualities  grown  on  the  island, 
the  mode  of  culture  upon  all  the  vegas  is  nearly  the  same. 
These  vegas  or  tobacco  farms  greatly  outnumber  the  coffee 
and  sugar  estates,  but  are  much  smaller,  and  require  a  less 
number  of  hands  to  work  them.  Hazard  estimates  the  num- 
ber at  ten  thousand,  while  they  are  constantly  increasing  as 
new  fields  are  being  tried  and  new  modes  of  culture  intro- 
duced.   Russell  says  of  tobacco  culture  in  Cuba : — 

"  In  regard  to  climate,  it  is  worthy  of  observation  that 
tobacco  is  only  cultivated  during  winter,  when  there  is  little 
rain.  It  grows  most  luxuriantly  in  summer  with  the  increased 
heat  and  moisture ;  but  the  leaves  grown  in  this  season  are 
devoid  of  those  qualities  for  which  the  weed  is  esteemed. 
The  conditions  of  growth  are  less  powerful  in  winter,  when 
the  temperature  is  ten  degrees  lower,  and  the  fall  of  rain 
small.  At  the  same  time,  there  is  more  sunshine  to  impart 
those  aromatic  qualities  which  are  so  much  relished  by 
smokers  of  tobacco.  In  Yirginia  the  torrid  heat  and  thunder 
showers  during  the  summer  months  are  by  no  means  favora- 
ble for  developing  the  mild  aroma  of  a  good  smoking  leaf. 
Such  atmospheric  conditions  are  better  suited  for  cotton  and 
Indian  corn  than  tobacco,  which  must  have  dry  weather  and 
sunshine  to  produce  it  in  perfection." 

No  country  in  Europe  is  more  celebrated  for  its  tobacco 
than  Germany.  The  tobacco  plant  has  been  cultivated  in 
some  parts  of  Prussia  for  nearly  two  centuries.  The  tobacco 
of  Germany  is  used  for  all  purposes  for  which  the  leaf  is 
designed — for  cutting,  cigars,  and  snuff.  Thete  are  various 
kinds  of  German  tobacco,  the  finest  being  grown  in  the  Grand 
Duchy  of  Baden.  The  native  tobacco  of  Germany,  however, 
is  not  powerful  in  flavor,  and  may  be  smoked  continuously 
to  an  extent  which  would  be  dangerous  and  disagreeable  if 
American  tobacco  were  used.  Although  it  is  cultivated  in 
most  of  the  States  of  Germany,  and  by  a  large  number  of 
growers,  still  the  tobacco  fields  as  a  rule  are  small.     The 


METHOD  OF  CULTURE. 


351 


Germans  are  among  the  most  thorough  cultivators  of  the 
plant  in  Europe,  and  every  operation  in  the  field  is  done  at 
the  proper  time  and  in  the  right  manner.  After  it  is  cured 
they  prepare  it  nicely  in  rolls  and  carots,  the  latter  for  man- 
ufacturing into  snuff.  The  tobacco  fields  are  faithfully 
tended,  and  the  utmost  pains  taken  to  secure  large,  well- 
formed  leaves.  The  fields  present  a  much  more  even  appear- 
ance than  similar  fields  in  France,  where  the  tobacco  grown 
is  small  and  uneven.  The  South  German  growers  of  tobacco 
are  without  doubt  the  most  successful  tobacco-growers  in 
Europe,  not  excepting  the  Hollanders,  who  raise  an  excellent 
tobacco  for  snuff.  The  time  of  gathering  the  leaves  is  the 
occasion  of  quite  a  merry-making  among  the  growers  and 
villagers,  and  is  considered  an  event  of  considerable  import- 
ance.    Fairholt  says : — 

"  The  time  of  harvesting  the  leaves  is  an  interesting  period 
for  a  stranger  to  visit  the  villages,  which  put  on  a  new  aspect 
as  every  house  and  bam  is  hung  all  over  with  the  drying 
leaves." 

German  tobacco  cures  well,  and  some  of  the  finer  sorts 
make  excellent   cigar  wrappers  and    are    much    esteemed 


GEBUAN   TOBACCO    FIXLD. 


throughout  Europe.     The  following  account  of  the  cultiva- 
tion   and   production   of   tobacco   in  the  different  German 


352  EXTENT  OF  CULTURE, 

States,  will  give  some  idea  of  the  amount  cultivated  and  used 
in  Germany : — 

"  The  aggregate  area  of  land  cultivated  with  tobacco  in 
Prussia  during  the  year  1871,  amounted  to  5.925  hectares  (a 
hectare  being  equal  to  2.47  English  acres).  It  appears  that 
the  extent  of  tobacco-growing  land  has,  during  the  last  fifty 
years,  been  gradually  diminishing  in  Prussia,  and  that  accord- 
ingly the  expectations  entertained  in  the  beginning  of  that 
period  of  a  great  future  development  of  this  branch  of  agri- 
culture, have  not  been  realized  ;  for  whilst  the  area  of  land 
planted  with  tobacco  in  the  j^ear  1825  was  12.374  hectares, 
it  amounted  in  1871  to  less  than  one-half  this  amount.  The 
reasons  for  this  gradual  decline  are  considered  to  be,  on  the 
one  hand,  the  growing  competition  of  the  South  German 
growers,  and  the  increase  in  the  importations  of  American 
tobacco ;  on  the  other,  the  fact  that  the  cultivation  of  beet- 
root (for  sugar  manufacturing)  and  of  potatoes  (for  the  dis- 
tilleries) has  proved  to  be  a  more  profitable  business  than  the 
cultivation  of  tobacco.  It  has,  moreover,  been  found  by 
many  years'  experience,  that  whilst  the  quality  of  the  tobacco 
cultivated  in  most  parts  of  Prussia  is  not  such  as  to  enable 
the  growers  to  compete  successfully  with  the  importers  of 
foreign  (particularly  of  JN^orth  American)  sorts,  the  labor 
attending  its  cultivation  and  its  preparation  for  the  market, 
as  well  as  the  uncertainty  of  only  an  average  crop,  are  out  of 
proportion,  as  a  rule,  to  the  average  profits  arising  therefrom. 
The  cultivation  of  the  plant  has,  consequently,  gradually 
become  restricted,  chiefly  to  those  districts  of  the  country 
where  either  the  soil  is  peculiarly  adapted  for  the  pui-pose, 
or  where  it  is  carried  on  for  the  private  use  of  the  producer." 

With  regard  to  the  various  provinces  of  Prussia,  it  appears 
that  "  In  East  Prussia  the  extent  of  tobacco  land  is  only  a 
limited  one,  and  is  confined  to  the  district  around  Tilsit, 
where  about  two-thirds  of  the  entire  cultivation  is  in  the 
hands  of  peasants,  who  consume  their  own  produce.  In 
"West  Prussia  (the  western  portion  of  the  province  of  Prussia 
proper)  the  cultivation  is  rather  more  extensive,  particularly 
near  the  town  of  Marienwerder ;  the  tobacco,  however,  is 
very  inferior.  The  most  important  districts  of  the  province 
of  Posen  are  those  of  Chodziesz  and  Meseritz.  In  Pomera- 
nia,  next  to  Brandenburg  the  most  important  tobacco-grow- 
ing province  of  the  kingdom,  the  area  of  land  cultivated  is 
very  large.  The  principal  districts  are  those  near  Stettin. 
In  Silesia  the  most  important  districts  are  those  around 


TOBACCO-RAISING  IN  PRUSSIA.  353 

Breslau,  Ratibor,  and  Oels.  The  principal  tobacco-growing 
province  of  Prussia  is  Brandenburg,  and  here  again,  particu- 
larly the  part  of  the  government  district  of  Potsdam,  which 
contains  the  towns  of  Neustadt,  Eberswalde  and  Prenzlau. 
Besides  the  districts  mentioned,  tobacco  is  grown  largely  in 
that  of  Frankfort-on-the  Oder,  In  the  province  of  Saxony 
the  chief  districts  are  those  of  Stendal,  Salzwedel,  Nordhausen, 
Burg,  and  Wittenburg.  Hanover,  like  the  other  western 
provinces  of  the  kingdom,  produces  a  superior  quality  of 
tobacco  to  that  raised  in  the  eastern  parts  of  Prussia — the 
most  important  district  is  that  of  Munden.  The  chief 
tobacco-growing  districts  of  Ilesse-Nossau  are  situated  near 
the  towns  of  Cassel  and  Hanau.  In  Rhenish  Prussia  the 
plant  is  cultivated,  particularly  in  the  neighborhood  of  Cleve, 
Emmerich,  Coblenz,  Creuznach,  and  Saarbruck ;  the  dis- 
tricts first  mentioned  produce  a  very  superior  quality.  The 
production  of  tobacco  in  Westphalia  is  extremely  small,  while 
in  the  province  of  Schleswig-Hol stein  the  plant  is  not  culti- 
vated at  all.  In  the  account  given  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
tobacco  plant  holds  an  important  place  among  the  products 
of  Prussia,  and  although  not  as  extensively  cultivated  as 
formerly,  has  not  been  entirely  driven  from  the  soil  by  other 
products  which  yield  a  larger  profit  to  the  producer.  The 
plant  is  cultivated  in  other  parts  of  Germany,  especially  in 
Bavaria,  where  large  quantities  of  tobacco  are  grown,  par- 
ticularly 60  in  the  Bavarian  Palatinate  and  in  Franconia  (viz., 
the  districts  around  Nuremberg  and  Erlangen).  In  the 
Kingdom  of  Saxony  but  little  tobacco  is  raised,  as  is  also  the 
case  in  Wurtemberg,  although  the  soil  and  climate  in  parts 
of  this  state  are  said  to  be  very  favorable  to  the  growth  of 
the  tobacco  plant ;  the  area  of  land  cultivated  is  upon  the 
whole,  a  very  limited  one,  and  in  1871  did  not  exceed  178.2 
hectares.  The  Grand  Duchy  of  Baden  has  at  all  times  been 
the  chief  tobacco-growing  part  of  Germany ;  as  far  back  as 
the  end  of  the  Seventeenth  Century,  special  laws  for  regula- 
tion of  the  cultivation,  preparation,  and  warehousing  of  this 
article  were  in  force.  The  most  prominent  tobacco-growing 
districts  of  Baden  are  those  of  Carlsruhe,  Mannheim,  Heidel- 
burg,  Badenburg,  Schwetzingen,  and  Lahr ;  the  quality  of 
the  plant  grown  in  those  parts  being  a  very  superior  one 
(among  the  various  kinds  of  German  tobacco).  The  produce 
of  the  districts  mentioned  is  therefore  applied  chiefly  in  the 
manufacture  of  cigar  wrappers,  and  is  exported  in  consider- 
able quantities  to  Bremen,  Hamburg,  Switzerland,  Holland, 
23 


354  TOBACCO  IN  HOLLAND, 

and  even  to  America  for  the  use  of  cigar  manufacture.  The 
prices  of  the  best  kinds  of  Baden  tobacco  are  consequently 
also,  on  an  average,  much  higher  than  those  realized  by  other 
German  growers.  In  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Hesse  the  plant 
is  cultivated,  the  chief  district  being  that  around  the  town  of 
Darmstadt ;  in  the  Thuringian  States,  tobacco  is  grown  ;  the 
most  prominent  among  them  as  regards  its  production  is  the 
Duchy  of  Saxe-Meiningen.  In  Mecklenburg  also  some 
tobacco  is  raised,  the  most  important  district  being  that  of 
Neu  Brandenburg  (in  Mecklenburg-Strelitz).  In  Brunswick 
only  a  small  extent  of  land  is  used  for  tobacco  growing, 
the  same  being  situated  near  the  town  of  Helmstadt,  In 
Alsace  and  Lorraine,  the  recently  acquired  provinces  of 
Germany,  the  cultivation  of  tobacco  has  been  extensively 
carried  on  for  many  years,  more  especially  in  the  country 
around  Strasburg,  Mulhausen,  Schirmeck,  and  Munster,  and 
to  a  small  extent  near  Metz  and  Thionville." 

It  is  apparent  from  this  account  that  the  German  tobacco 
fields  produce  a  vast  quantity  of  tobacco,  some  of  which  is 
of  excellent  texture  and  flavor,  and  well  adapted  to  the  taste 
of  European  smokers  of  the  plant. 

Ever  since  the  introduction  of  tobacco  into  Holland,  its 
cultivation  and  its  use  has  been  looked  upon  with  favor  by 
the  "true-born  I^ederlander,"  who  associates  the  plant  with 
every  social  enjoyment.  The  Dutch,  on  the  discovery  of 
tobacco,  were  among  the  first  to  use  it  and  encourage  its 
cultivation.  In  the  history  of  the  Dutch  colonies  in  the 
Indies  it  plays  an  important  part.  Tobacco  began  to  be 
cultivated  in  Holland  about  Amersfoot  in  1615,  and  from 
that  time  until  now,  its  culture  has  increased  until  it  has 
become  one  of  the  greatest  of  agricultural  products  of  the 
country.  The  plant  is  grown  in  the  Veluive  (the  valley  of 
Guelderland),  where  the  soil  is  particularly  adapted  for  the 
rich  snufi'-leaf  w^hicli  is  manufactured  from  Amersfoot  tobacco. 
The  Dutch,  like  the  Germans,  are  excellent  cultivators  of 
tobacco,  selecting  the  richest  and  the  strongest  land,  and  work- 
ing the  fields  of  as  fine  a  tilth  as  possible.  The  plants  do  not 
grow  as  rapidly  as  in  America,  as  they  are  transplanted  into 
the  fields  in  May,  and  are  not  harvested  until  the  latter  part 
of  September  or  beginning  of  October.     The  plants  attain 


DUTCH  PLANTERS. 


355 


good  size — larger  than  most  of  the  tobacco  of  Europe,  and  a 
tobacco  field  in  Holland  compares  favorably  with  any  in  this 
countrj'.  The  color  of  the  plants  while  growing,  is  a  dark 
rich  green,  and  they  are  of  a  uniform  size,  maturing  slowly 
but  thoroughly.  Connor  says  of  Amersfoot  tobacco :  "  This 
tobacco  is  much  esteemed,  the  fineness  of  the  leaf  and  its 
freedom  from  fibres  fitting  it  for  cigar-wrappers." 

The  Dutch  planters  of  tobacco  are  among  the  happiest 
cultivators  of  the  plant  in  Europe,  if  not  in  the  world,  and 
unlike  the  renowned  Van  Twiller  never  "  have  any  doubts 
about  the  matter,"  and  believe  that  tobacco  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  sustain  life.  After  the  evening  meal  the  planter 
lights  his  pipe  or  calls  upon  the  good  dominie,  to  have  a 


BUTCH    PLANTERS. 

social  chat,  discoursing  over  their  favorite  beverage  the 
virtues  of  two  great  luxuries,  Oftener,  however,  he  passes 
his  evenings  at  the  village  inn,  where,  surrounded  by  other 
comrades,  he  discourses  as  follows  of  his  favorite  plant, — 
tabak: 

"  That  the  smoking  of  tobacco  is  of  infinite  benefit,  no  one 
■who  is  impartial  and  unprejudiced  can  deny.  In  a  country 
like  Holland,  where  the  atmosphere  is  always  laden  with 


356  ^  PLEA  FOR  TOBACCO. 

heavy  and  hurtful  particles,  and  where,  while  people  breathe 
that  atmosphere  from  above,  they  feel  themselves  not  less 
affected  from  below  by  the  cold,  moist,  swampy  soil — the 
Bracking  and  the  chewing  of  tobacco  are  the  wliolesome 
prophylactics  of  which  we  can  make  use.  To  the  Indians 
and  the  Negroes,  tobacco  is  almost  the  only  solace  in  this 
transient  life.  They  learn,  by  means  of  it,  to  support  nature, 
and  to  encounter  valiantly,  by  its  help,  all  the  tribulations 
incidental  to  the  human  lot.  If  tliey  are  depressed,  they 
smoke  or  chew  tobacco,  and  gladden  themselves  therewith. 
If  they  are  exhausted,  and  the  sun  and  their  hard  and  inlni- 
man  masters  appear  to  conspire  to  destroy  them,  a  little 
tobacco  restores  their  strength,  makes  them  forget  their 
slavish  life,  and  go  vigorously  to  work  again. 

In  the  Thirty  Years'  War  in  Germany,  the  smoking  and 
chewing  of  tobacco  proved  the  salvation  of  many  thousands 
of  men,  who  by  its  aid  guarded  themselves  against  the  deadly 
effects  of  deficient  food  and  of  bad  meats  and  drinks.  Noth- 
ing is  so  good,  nothing  so  serviceable  to  human  life,  as  the 
smoking  of  tobacco — which  may  well  be  called  a  kingly  plant, 
seeing  that  the  monarchs  of  the  earth  are  not  ashamed  to  use 
it.  While  tobacco  cultivates  sociality,  and  is  of  great  avail 
in  severe  hunger  and  thirst,  it  strengthens  the  body  and 
checks  fluxions,  and  colds,  and  slimy  humors.  Nature  has 
willed  it  that  men  should  make  use  of  plants  like  tobacco, 
which,  by  their  heat  and  sharpness,  draw  the  humors  out- 
ward, and  cause  a  slight  salivation.  Witness,  as  confirmation 
of  what  has  been  said,  cloves  and  pepper,  which  hold  sway 
nearly  over  the  earth ;  betel,  which  to  the  Hindoos  is  the 
remedy  for  every  disease ;  the  onions  and  leeks  of  the 
Egyptians,  who  while  building  the  pyramids  and  obelisks, 
spent  their  money  eagerly  on  those  dainties ;  and  tobacco, 
which  is  adopted  by  the  four  quarters  of  the  world.  \ 

The  justly  celebrated  British  physician,  Cheyne,  has 
remarked  that  both  chewing  and  smoking,  of  tobacco  are 
exceedingly  serviceable  for  those  who  suffer  from  rheumatic 
and  catarrhal  affections,  have  a  sluggish  digestion,  or  live  a 
luxurious  life.  As  tobacco  has  numerous  slanderers,  so  there 
are  many  who  know  not  how  to  turn  tobacco  to  a  good 
purpose.  Excess  and  abuse  may  be  found  in  the  smoking  and 
chewing  of  tobacco  as  in  other  things.  Instead  of  using 
tobacco  in  moderation,  there  are  persons  who  make  themselves 
its  slaves,  and  render  themselves  incapable  of  the  immense 
benefit  of  the  enlivening  and  stimulating  effect  they  would 


"THIRSTY  TOBACCO."  357 

otherwise  owe  to  it.  A  little  tobacco  smoked  or  chewed 
three  or  four  times  a  day  canuot  fail  to  be  beneficial.  But 
the  adversaries  of  tobacco,  in  order  to  furnish  themselves 
with  an  argument,  make  tobacco  bear  all  the  blame  when, 
some  one  who  has  given  himself  up  to  an  intemperate  and 
luxurious  life,  and  who  is  besides  a  great  smoker,  becomes 
the  victim  of  all  kinds  of  discomforts  and  sickness.  To  con- 
demn tobacco  by  saying  those  who  begin  to  chew  or  smoke 
it  nearly  always  suffer  from  malaise  and  nausea,  is  surely 
preposterous.  May  we  not  in  fairness  contend  that  tobacco 
is  essentially  wholesome,  that  it  helps  digestion,  relieves  the 
mind  and  cheers  the  spirits." 

The  following  humorous  account  of  "  Thirsty  Tobacco  " 
is  a  most  curious  illustration  of  the  superstitions  which 
spontaneously  grow  up  in  the  hearts  of  the  people. 

"  Soon  after  the  introduction  of  tobacco  into  Holland 
many  of  the  Dutch  were  of  the  opinion  that  the  tobacco 
plant  drank  in  moisture  greedily  and  required  to  be  often 
and  abundantly  watered.  From  this  insatiable  thirst  the 
belief  arose  that  tobacco  was  the  cause  of  rain,  brought  clouds 
to  the  heavens,  and  restored  the  general  crops.  Once,  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Amersfoot,  the  weather  was  very  rainy, 
and  the  crops  suffered  accordingly.  On  the  tobacco  grow- 
ing round  the  town  the  blame  of  the  calamity  was  thrown ; 
and  it  was  resolved  to  punish  tobacco,  the  sottish  rain-drinker 
and  wicked  rain-bringer.  A  rabble,  consisting  chiefly  of 
boys  and  youths,  rushed  to  the  tobacco  fields,  and  scattered 
havoc  with  the  ferocity  of  stupidity.  The  mad  creatures 
pulled  up  the  stalks,  tore  off  the  leaves,  and  trampled  leaves 
and  stalks  under  foot.  Before  they  had  done  the  work  of 
destruction  quite  as  completely  as  they  desired,  soldiers 
appeared  on  the  scene.  They  sternly  commanded  the  rioters 
to  desist,  but  the  rioters  paid  no  heed  either  to  entreaties  or 
threats.  Thereupon  they  drew  their  swords,  as  if  by  the 
mere  flash  of  these  to  terrify  the  rioters,  who  laughed  a  laugh 
of  contempt.  Then  effectually  to  frighten  the  rioters,  the 
soldiers  fired  at  them  with  blank  cartridges.  This  harmless 
noise  drove  the  mischief-makers  to  ignominious  flight,  and  the 
tobacco  plants  which  were  still  uninjured  were  left  in  peace." 

At  what  exact  time  this  destruction  of  "  thirsty  tobacco  " 
took  place  we  are  left  in  doubt.  It  is  doubtless  a  "  good  joke  " 
got  up  by  some  "  ponderous  joker "  for  the  amusement  of 
Dutch  smokers. 


368 


HOLLAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


All  admirers  of  tobacco  like  Holland  and  its  people.  It 
is  emphatically  the  land  of  smoke.  One  is  constantly  in 
clond-land,  and  whether  in  the  house  or  on  the  street  the 
incense  of  tobacco  is  perpetual,  from  the  good  natured  dominie 
who  puffs  leisurely  at  many  pipes  to  the  humblest  peasant 
who  works  modestly  among  the  plants,  all  burn  the  fragrant 
weed  and  pay  homage  to  its  shrine.  Ever  since  the  Dutch 
looked  upon  the  plant  it  has  been  more  to  them  than  king 
and  courtier.  The  old  Dutch  burgomasters  "  who  dozed 
awav  their  lives  and  grew  fat  upon  the  bench  of  magistracy 
in  Rotterdam ;  and  who  had  comported  themselves  with  such 
singular  wisdom  and  propriety,  that  they  were  never  either 
heard  or  talked  of,  owed  all  to  the  use  and  influence  of  the 
<  kingly  plant.' "  Not  only  are  the  Dutch  prodigious  smokers, 
but  they  use  the  pipe  at  all  places  and  at  all  times.  On  the 
way  to  Church  the  pipe  is  lighted,  and  after  service  it  is  the 
Bolace  of  the  evening  hour. 

In  all  public  places  the  pipe  plays  an  important  part.  The 
traveler  is  constantly  reminded  of  the  use  of  tobacco;  for 
even  the  bridges  have  public  notices  affixed  to  them  request- 


SUCCESS  TO  VON  TROMP. 


ing  all  visitors  to  prevent  the  fall  of  tobacco-ashes  on  the 
gravel  or  grass;  and  not  to  knock  out  their  pipes  within 


TOBACCO  CULTURE  IN  AUSTRALIA.  359 

"bounds  of  the  place.  The  old  Dutch  planters  were  fond  of  a 
"  silent  pipe,"  and  after  the  labors  of  the  day  gathered 
together  to  drink  and  smoke  to  the  success  of  Admiral  Von 
Tromp,  whose  exploits  in  the  British  Channel  carried  terror 
to  many  a  heart.  Or,  speculated  upon  the  voyage  of  the 
"  Goede  Yrouw'''  (Good  Woman),  which  had  been  fitted  out 
to  colonize  the  new  country. 

The  progress  of  tobacco-culture  in  Oceanica,  is  shown  in 
the  following  account  which  Connor  gives  of  the  tobacco 
plantations  of  Australia : 

"  The  development  of  tobacco  culture  in  Australia  has  been 
great  and  rapid.  In  these  colonies,  Avhere  only  a  few  years 
ago  the  plant  was  not  known,  there  are  now  hundreds  of 
acres  under  tobacco.  The  local  manufacture  is  also  keeping 
pace  with  the  production  of  the  leaf,  and  the  import  of 
tobacco  into  the  Australian  colonies  yearly  diminishes  in 
proportion  to  the  increased  consumption  of  locally  grown 
and  manufactured  tobacco.  Imported  leaf  is  used  in  the 
manufacture  of  cigars,  those  made  from  colonial  leaf  being 
held  in  low  esteem.  Steady  efforts  are  being  made  by  the 
cultivators  to  improve  the  quality  of  the  produce,  and  with 
every  prospect  of  success,  many  places  in  the  colonies  being 
well  adapted  for  the  growth  of  the  plant.  Colonel  De  Coin 
says  Australia  is  capable  of  producing  very  good  qualities. 
Tobacco  has  hitherto  been  grown  upon  alluvial  lands,  but  a 
preference  is  evinced  for  lands  somewhat  less  rich  but  free 
from  floods.  Alluvial  land  gives  a  larger  crop  per  acre,  but 
the  flavor  is  ranker.  In  1872  there  were  567  acres  under 
tobacco  in  New  South  Wales.  The  average  produce  of  the 
colonies  is  about  1,300  pounds  to  the  acre.  The  amount  of 
produce  varied  from  976  pounds  to  the  acre  in  New  South 
Wales  to  2,016  in  Tasmania,  the  climate  of  this  island  being 
moister  and  more  favorable  for  tobacco  than  that  of  the  other 
colonies.  Manilla  and  Havana  tobacco  has  been  grown  with 
great  success  for  seed  for  many  years  at  the  Adelaide  Botanic 
Gardens,  and  the  seed  raised  has  been  largely  distributed." 

The  Australian  growers  may  demonstrate  the  fact  that  as 
good  or  better  Manilla  tobacco  can  be  grown  by  them  than  in 
the  Philippine  islands.  If  the  leaf  will  burn  freely,  and 
leave  a  white,  firm  ash,  the  product  will  no  doubt  prove  a 
liTal  of  the  leaf  grown  in  Luzon.     From  the  composition  of 


360 


ARABIAN  TOBACCO. 


the  soil,  it  is  hardly  probable  that  Havana  tobacco  can  be 
grown  to  perfection ;  it  may,  however,  resemble  in  some 
measure  the  Cuban  leaf.  The  climate  has  much  to  do  with 
the  flavor  of  tobacco ;  more  than  with  the  size  of  the  plants 
or  the  color  of  the  leaf.  Cuba  in  this  respect  has  a  decided 
advantage  over  Australia ;  and  Havana  tobacco  will  hardly 
find  a  rival  in  Australian  leaf,  though  grown  on  the  finest 
soil,  and  given  the  most  thorough  care. 

So  extensive  is  the  cultivation  of  the  tobacco  plant,  that 
even  the  Arab  cultivates  it  in  the  burning  desert.  In  Algiers 
it  is  an  important  product;  and  through  the  eflbrts  and 
encouragement  of  the  French  government  its  cultivation  is 
assuming  large  dimensions.  Some  portions  of  Algiers  seem 
to  be  well  adapted  for  tobacco,  the  finest  of  which  is  equal  to 


TOBACCO    FIELD    IN    ALGIERS. 


any  obtamed  from  America ;  but  a  large  portion  of  the  prod- 
uct from  that  province  is  of  poor  quality.  It  is  a  favorite 
plant  with  the  Arab,  and  his  attention  seems  to  be  about 
equally  divided  between  his  tobacco  and  liis  camels.  The 
plant  is  light  in  color  and  of  peculiar  flavor,  well  suited  to 
his  taste,  and  in  keeping  with  his  idea  of  quality  and  excel- 
lence. The  crop  is  usually  bountiful,  notwithstanding  the 
heat  of  the  summer  and  the  absence  of  moisture  in  the  soil. 


TOBACCO  IN  AFRICA. 


361 


The  tobacco  plant  is  also  cultivated  in  other  parts  of  Africa 
besides  Algiers.  In  Egypt  and  Nubia  it  is  grown  to  a  con- 
siderable extent,  as  well  as  by  most  of  the  native  tribes  of 
the  South-west.  Among  some  tribes  it  forms  an  important 
article  of  trade,  and  serves  the  purpose  of  money  or  its  repre- 
sentative. The  natives  are  partial  to  the  plant,  and  devotedly 
attached  to  smoking.  Little  patches  may  be  seen  near  their 
huts,  on  which  they  lavish  their  attention  and  care.  In  some 
parts  of  Africa  tobacco  grows  to  a  very  great  height.  Liv- 
ingstone gives  an  account  of  a  variety  that  attained  an 
altitude  much  higher  than  the  American  plant.  Several 
varieties  are  cultivated,  some  of  them  resembling  the  Shiraz 
and  Latakia,  while  most  of  it  is  said  to  be  similar  to  Virginia 
tobacco,  only  larger.     With  careful  culture  the  plant  would 

doubtless  thrive  in 

most  parts  of  Afri- 
ca, as  the  soil  is 
light  and  the  sea- 
son usually  favor- 
able. Though  the 
heat  is  extreme  the 
plant  flourishes 
even  in  the  hottest 
part  of  the  season, 
and  attains  a  de- 
gree of  perfection 
corresponding  to 
the  labor  bestowed 
by  the  natives  in 
cultivating.  Their  manner  of  curing  is  simply  by  drying  the 
leaves,  and  is  not  suited  to  the  taste  of  any  besides  them- 
selves. In  Egypt,  Algiers,  and  Nubia,  the  plant  is  culti- 
vated with  more  care,  and  a  better  system  of  curing  is 
adopted  than  by  the  natives  of  the  interior.  Burton  gives 
an  account  of  the  cultivation  of  tobacco  by  the  natives  of 
East  Africa : — 

"  Tobacco  grows  plentifully  in  the  more  fertile  regions  of 


TUbACCO    FIELD    IN    AFRICA. 


362  SYRIAN  TOBACCO  FIELDS. 

East  Africa.  Planted  at  the  end  of  the  rains,  it  gains  strength 
by  sun  and  dew,  and  is  harvested  in  October.  It  is  prepared 
for  sale  in  different  forms.  Everywhere,  however,  a  simple 
sun-drying  supplies  the  place  of  cocking  and  sweating,  and 
the  people  are  not  so  fastidious  as  to  reject  the  lower  or 
coarser  leaves  and  those  tainted  by  the  earth.  Usumbara 
produces  what  is  considered  at  Zanzibar  a  superior  article ;  it 
IS  kneaded  into  little  circular  cakes  four  inches  in  diameter 
by  half  an  inch  deep :  rolls  of  these  cakes  are  neatly  packed 
in  plantain-leaves  for  exportation.  The  next  in  order  of 
excellence  is  that  grown  in  Uhiao  :  it  is  exported  in  leaf  or 
in  the  form  called  kamhari,  roll-tobacco,  a  circle  of  coils  each 
about  an  inch  in  diameter.  The  people  of  Khutu  and  Usa- 
gara  mould  the  pounded  and  wetted  material  into  discs  like 
cheeses,  8  or  9  inches  across  by  2  or  3  in  depth,  and  weigh- 
ing about  3  lbs.;  they  supply  the  Wagogo  with  tobacco, 
taking  in  exchange  for  it  salt.  The  leaf  in  Unyamwezi  gen- 
erally is  soft  and  perishable,  that  of  Usukuma  being  the 
worst ;  it  is  sold  in  blunt  cones,  so  shaped  by  the  mortars  in 
which  they  are  pounded.  At  Karaguah,  according  to  the 
Arabs,  the  tobacco,  a  superior  variety,  tastes  like  musk  in 
the  water-pipe.  The  produce  of  Ujiji  is  better  than  that  of 
Unyamwezi ;  it  is  sold  in  leaf,  and  is  called  by  the  Arabs 
hamumi,  after  a  well-known  growth  in  Hazramaut.  It  is 
impossible  to  give  an  average  price  to  tobacco  in  East  Africa ; 
it  varies  from  1  khete  of  coral  beads  per  6  oz.  to  2  lbs." 

Some  of  the  most  beautiful  and  fragrant  tobacco  fields  in 
the  world  are  to  be  found  in  Syria.  Indeed  it  may  truthfully 
be  said  that  a  field  of  Latakia  tobacco  is  hardly  inferior  in 
beauty  to  the  large  and  fragrant  orchards  of  the  olive  and 
mulberry,  or  the  wheat  fields  on  the  terraced  sides  of  Mount 
Lebanon. 

The  tobacco  plant  is  cultivated  in  various  parts  of  Syria 
and  particularly  by  the  Druses  on  "  The  Lebanon,"  as  it  is 
usually  called. 

The  cultivation  of  tobacco  in  Syria,  has  been  a  consider- 
able industry,  and  the  product  has  acquired  a  reputation  in 
European  markets  that  has  demonstrated  its  real  value,  and 
a  constant  demand  for  this  variety  of  the  plant.  Latakia 
tobacco  resembles  in  flavor  the  yellow  tobacco  of  Eastern 
Thibet  and  Western  China,  both  of  them  grown  from  the 


LATAKIA  TOBACCO. 


363 


eame  seed.  Latakia  tobacco  is  not  sweated  like  most  tobacco, 
but  is  first  cured  in  the  sun  and  then  hung  up  in  the  peasants' 
huts  to  cure  until  ready  for  market.  The  plants  ripen  very 
fast  and  emit  an  aromatic  odor,  increasing  in  strength  as  the 
plants  ripen.  For  smoking  it  has  but  few  superiors.  After 
curing,  it  is  baled  and  sent  to  Europe,  where  it  is  manu- 


TOBACCO   FIELD    IN    SYRIA. 


f  actured  into  smoking  tobacco.  The  plants  are  well  cultivated 
and  watched  against  the  ravages  of  birds,  which  seem  to  like 
the  young  and  tender  plants  especially  before  they  are  trans- 
planted. From  the  nature  of  the  soil  the  plants  are  watered 
frequently,  and  when  the  leaves  are  about  the  size  of  a  large 
cabbage  leaf  are  ready  to  harvest.  As  the  plants  ripen 
the  leaves  gradually  thicken  and  take  on  a  lighter  shade ; 
the  leaf  when  green  is  very  thick,  but  after  curing  is  quite 
thin  and  of  a  bright  yellow  or  brown,  according  to  the  pro- 
cess employed  in  curing.  The  peasants  take  equal  pains  in 
its  fumigation,  using  various  kinds  of  wood  according  to  the 
color  of  leaf  they  wish  to  obtain.  They  usually  make  two 
kinds  of  leaf,  the  finest  being  colored  brown  and  known  by 
the  name  of  abowri.  The  tobacco  is  fumigated  with  two 
kinds  of  wood,  gozen  (pine  wood)  and  sindian  (oak),  thfe 
tobacco  fumigated  with  gozen  having  the  best  smell.  The 
fumigation,  however,  is  said  not  to  be  resorted  to  expressly 


364  THE  FUTURE. 

for  the  tobacco,  but  the  mountaineers  of  necessity  burn  much 
wood  in  their  huts  in  the  winter,  and  the  smoke  improves 
the  tobacco  in  color,  smell,  and  flavor.  All  the  tobacco  grown 
about  Latakia  derives  its  origin  from  the  same  seed,  but  the 
difference  between  the  abowri  and  the  other  kinds  is  owing 
to  the  cultivation  of  the  former  about  high  mountains  and 
with  the  use  of  pine  wood  in  fumigating  it.  A  field  of  Lata- 
kia tobacco  presents  a  novel  appearance,  the  short  straight 
plants  with  their  ovate  leaves  bearing  yellow  blossoms  form 
a  striking  contrast  to  towering  seed  leaf  rising  fully  two  or 
three  feet  higher  than  the  Syrian  plant. 

Fairholt  says  that  "  Latakia  tobacco  is  a  native  of  America 
but  grows  wild  in  other  countries,  and  is  a  hardy  annual  in 
English  gardens,  flowering  from  midsummer  to  Michaelmas, 
so  that  by  some  botanists  it  has  been  termed  '  common,  or 
*  English  tobacco.' "  Burton's  work  .on  unexplored  Syria  is 
full  of  passages  relating  to  tobacco  and  the  custom  of  smoking. 

"  The  tobacco  which  is  grown  on  the  slopes  of  the  Libanus 
and  the  Anti-Libanus  mountains  appears  to  be  one  of  the 
finest  quality  and  most  delicate  flavor.  The  monks  of  the 
convents  are  famous  for  the  production  of  a  snuff,  which  for 
pungency,  at  least,  is  far  superior  to  the  snuff's  of  Europe. 
Personal  experience  of  it  convinces  us  that  a  great  deal  of 
the  pungency  of  this  snuff  is  due  to  the  addition  of  some 
aromatic  herb  in  addition  to  the  natural  acridity  produced 
by  the  highly  dried  tobacco.  The  cultivation  of  tobacco  in 
Syria,  will  probably  increase  in  proportion  to  the  improved 
condition  of  affairs  in  Sjn'ia,  we  have  little  doubt ;  and  we 
trust  that  when  agricultural  science  is  better  studied  there, 
Englishmen  will  have  the  opportunity  of  testing  the  value 
and  importance  of  Syrian  tobacco  products." 

Conoor  says  of  the  tobacco  fields  of  India :— ^ 

"  In  the  Bombay  Presidency  tobacco  is  largely  produced, 
and  its  quality  in  such  districts  as  Kaira  and  Khandesh  is 
superior.  In  1871  tliere  were  nearly  43,000  acres  of  land 
under  tobacco  in  the  presidency,  the  largest  quantities  being 
grown  in  Kaira,  Khandesh,  Belgaum  Sattara,  Shalopoor,  and 
Poona.  The  trade  is  extensive.  The  exports  of  tobacco 
to  foreign  countries  amount  to  several  million  pounds 
annually.     Among  foreign  countries,   Mauritius,   Bourbon, 


GROWING  TOBACCO  IN  INDIA. 


365 


and  neighboring  places,  not  reckoned  as  part  of  British 
India,  take  a  large  share  of  the  exports.  Bombay  exports 
tobacco  to  other  Indian  presidencies.  Small  quantities  of 
the  line  Guzerat  tobaccos  find  their  way  by  rail  into 
the  North-western  Provinces.  Numerous  endeavors  have 
for  many  years  past  been  made  to  improve  the  quality 
of  Bombay  tobacco.  In  1831  the  Besident  in  the  Persian 
Gulf  sent  to  the  local  Government  a  maund  of  seed  of  the 
*  very  finest  tobacco  grown  in  Persia,'  and  with  it  he  sent 
some  observations  on  the  mode  of  cultivating  tobacco  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Sliiraz.  In  1867  fifteen  small  packets  of 
genuine  Shiraz  tobacco  were  forwarded  for  trial  in  the  Bom- 
bay Presidency.  Of  the  seed  sown  in  Kolhopoor,  about  eight 
or  nine  germinated,  and  the  plants  grew  to  a  height  of  five 
feet  two  inches ;  of  these  only  four  survived.  There  were 
two  varieties,  one  with  oblong  the  other  with  circular  leaves. 
Of  the  seeds  sent  to  Kandesh,  only  a  few  germinated. 
All  the  seed  put  down  in  the  Victoria  Gardens  failed. 
That  sent  to  Sind,  though  said  to  have  been  carefully 
sown,  also  failed  to  germinate.  The  Conservator  of  Forests 
had  the  seeds  sent  him  sown  in  beds,  and  the  plants,  when  a 
few  inches  in  height,  were  transplanted  into  pots.  They 
grew  with  the  greatest  luxuriance,  and  produced  abundance 

_^^--^         of  flowers  and 
^^0Si^  ^  seed.     Some   of 


the  seed  was 
sent  to  the  col- 
lector of  Kaira, 
who  forwarded 
a  sample  of  the 
tobacco  grown 
from  it.  The 
Conservator  con- 
sidered the  prod- 
uce very  good, 
and  the  secre- 
tary of  the  Agri- 
Ilorticul  tural 
Socio ty  pro- 
nounced it  '  of  a 
superior  kind.' 
The  flavor  was 
exceedingly  fine,  but  it  had  not  been  allowed  to  come  to  matu- 
rity, hence  it  was  thin  and  shriveled.     It  had  also  been  spoilt 


TOBACCO  FIELD  IN  INDIA. 


366  DISTRIBUTING  SEED. 

by  rain,  and  consequently  its  market  value  could  not  be  fairly 
tested.  The  experiment,  it  is  clear,  was  not  conducted  with 
proper  care  by  most  of  those  to  whom  the  seed  was  confided, 
but  the  Local  Government  considered  that  on  the  whole  the 
result  was  satisfactory,  as  showing  that  there  was  every 
probability  that  Sliiraz  tobacco,  with  care  and  proper  garden- 
ing,  might  be  introduced  into    the    Bombay    Presidency. 

"  In  August,  1869,  the  Bombay  Government  again  distrib- 
uted a  small  supply  of  seed  of  the  Shiraz,  Havana,  and  other 
varieties  to  the  superintendents  of  cotton  experiments,  and 
to  the  collectors  of  Kaira,  IQiandesh,  Dharwar,  and  Kurrachee, 
for  experimental  cultivation.  The  seeds  did  well  in  the  hands 
of  all  the  superintendents,  who  reported  very  favorably  on 
the  plants  raised  from  them.  In  Sind  only  the  soil  in  which 
the  seed  was  sown  proved  unsuitable.  In  Dharwar  all  the 
five  varieties  germinated,  though  the  Maryland  failed  to  some 
extent,  and  a  considerable  quantity  of  seed  of  each  variety 
was  secured.  Of  Latakia,  only  twenty  grains  were  sent  to 
the  superintendent ;  and  the  quantity  in  each  case  increased 
to  one  pound  from  the  produce  of  the  plants.  These  two 
varieties  of  tobacco,  however,  were  not  so  much  admired  by 
the  cultivators  as  Shiraz,  Havana,  and  Maryland,  to  which 
they  gave  a  decided  preference.  The  only  varieties  of  seed 
which  were  available  for  experiments  at  Broach  and  Yeerm- 
gaum  were  Havana  and  Shiraz.  In  both  places  the  plants 
came  up  well,  and  a  large  quantity  of  seed  was  obtained  from 
them.  That  sent  to  Broach  arrived  a  little  too  late  in  the 
season  to  admit  of  an  extensive  experiment  being  made ;  this 
indeed  appears  to  have  been  the  case  at  all  the  other  places. 
The  seed,  however,  was  of  good  quality,  germinated  freely, 
and  produced  excellent  plants  in  a  very  short  lime. 

"  The  first  transplanting  was  made  out  into  a  field  in  an 
open  piece  of  land,  where  they  commenced  growing  vigor- 
ously, but  the  rains  being  then  over,  swarms  of  small  locusts 
made  their  ajipearance,  and  ate  up  the  young  plants  before 
they  had  thoroughly  established  themselves  in'  the  ground. 
The  second  lot  was  transplanted  into  a  more  sheltered  patch, 
where  the  progress  was  all  that  could  be  desired,  both  the 
varieties  growing  rapidly,  the  Havana  especially  producing 
some  leaves  of  enormous  size.  The  first  cutting  was  entrusted 
to  a  potel,  who  managed  it  according  to  the  native  process  of 
curing.  The  tobacco  was  so  strong,  however,  that  only  old 
confirmed  smokers  could  manage  it.  The  most  formidable  diflS- 
culty  which  presented  itself  was  the  management  of  the  midrib, 


CURING  TOBACCO  IN  INDIA.  367 

which  in  the  large  leaves  was  extremely  coarse  and  jnicy. 
When  the  leaves  were  made  up  into  hands  for  the  purpose 
of  fermentation  before  the  midrib  was  thoroughly  dry,  the 
result  was  invariably  mould  and  discoloration.  On  the  other 
hand,  when  dried  sufficiently  to  insure  freedom  from  mould, 
the  lamina  of  the  leaf  became  so  brittle  that  it  was  crushed 
to  powder  at  the  slightest  touch,  and  so  wrinkled  and  dry 
that  the  heaps  did  not  ferment  at  all.  Of  the  varieties  sup- 
plied, the  Shiraz,  Havana,  and  Maryland  attracted  most 
attention  and  promised  the  best  results.  The  great  draw- 
back was  the  curing  part  of  the  process.  So  far  as  the  culti- 
vation was  concerned,  there  was  every  prospect  of  success; 
but  not  so  with  regard  to  the  curing." 

Robertson  says  of  the  curing  of  the  leaf: — 

"  In  my  opinion,  all  efforts  to  produce  good  tobacco  will 
be  useless  until  the  services  of  a  competent  curer  are 
obtained." 

He  considers  the  fault  of  all  Indian  tobacco  to  lie  in  the 
curing.  The  leaf  itself  is  good,  and  it  is  simply  the  art  of 
curing  that  should  be  studied. 

"  I  have  cured  tobacco  of  different  varieties,  some  of  which 
would  hold  a  good  place  in  the  English  market,  but  the  fault 
generally  found  with  the  tobacco  is  that  it  is  too  full  flavored. 
Further  experiments  were  carried  on  in  the  same  districts 
with  varying  results.  In  Sind  the  experiments  and  their 
results  were  insignificant.  In  Broach  they  were  somewhat 
more  successful,  the  superintendent  thus  summarising  his 
experience  : — '  Havana,  Shiraz,  and  other  varieties  of  exotic 
tobacco  will,  with  ordinary  care  and  attention,  yield  fair  and 
certain  crops  on  ordinary  black  land,  and  presumably  on 
every  other  kind  to  be  met  with  in  Guzerat.  By  the  skillful 
application  of  manure,  leaf  of  any  desired  quality  or  pecul- 
iarity of  flavor  and  texture  may  be  obtained.  The  quantity 
of  produce  is  so  great  that,  should  it  be  found  practicable  to 
cure  the  leaf  well  enough  to  make  it  a  salable  article  in  the 
European  market,  a  source  of  profit  by  no  means  insignificant 
would  be  opened  up  to  the  Guzerat  ryot.  For  the  native 
market  the  country  plant  is  more  suitable,  and  its  cultivation 
consequently  the  more  profitable.'  In  Dharwar  the  super- 
intendent was  enabled  to  distribute  seed  in  sufficient  quanti- 
ties to  those  applying  for  it,  but  found  the  ryots  would  not 
cultivate  it  on  a  large  scale,  being  apprehensive  of  loss. 
Native  tobacco  he  considers  less  liable  to  injury  than  the 


368  QUALITY  OF  INDIAN  TOBACCO. 

exotic  varieties  during  the  squally  weather  prevalent  about 
the  time  the  leaf  is  approaching  maturity." 

Robertson,  in  replying  to  the  assertion  that  the  tobacco  of 
India  contains  little  if  any  nicotine,  says : 

"  It  appears  to  me  that  there  must  be  some  mistake  as  to 
the  tobacco  containing  little  or  no  nicotine.  Very  many  have 
tried  the  tobacco,  and  pronounce  it  to  be  good,  with,  however, 
the  fault  of  being  exceedingly  strong.  Now,  the  strength  of 
tobacco  comes  Irom  its  nicotine,  and  if  the  specimens  I  sent 
contain  no  nicotine,  whence  the  strength  ?  I  believe  that 
nothing  destroys  tobacco  so  much  as  moistening  it.  How, 
then,  are  acetic  acid  and  chloride  of  soda  to  be  used  in  the 
curing?  If  the  process  of  desiccation  had  been  carried  on 
too  quickly,  the  tobacco  would  have  been  of  either  a  green  or 
greenish-yellow  color.  If  too  slowly,  it  would  have  been 
black,  like  much  of  the  country  tobacco.  I  perceive  that  the 
amount  of  nicotine  in  a  great  measure  depends  on  the  extent 
to  which  the  leaf  is  allowed  to  ripen.  The  riper  the  leaf  the 
more  the  nicotine.  The  amount  of  nicotine  does  not  appear 
to  depend  on  the  amount  of  curing.  The  soil  the  tobacca 
was  grown  in  is  a  hardish  red  moorum  soil,  containing  much 
iron  ;  probably  that  may  account  for  the  red  coloring  matter 
being  so  much  developed.  I  intend  to  have  some  of  each 
description  of  the  tobacco  leaf  analj-^ed,  and  also  intend  to 
submit  the  soil  in  which  it  was  grown  to  the  same  process. 
I  have  had  some  of  the  cigars  packed  up  for  some  months  to 
test  how  far  they  are  proof  against  insects.  None  have  been 
attacked  by  insects.  Some  Manilla  cigars,  some  Trichinopoly 
cheroots,  all  packed  up  at  the  same  time,  have,  however,  been 
entirely  destroyed  by  insects. 

"  It  is  clear  from  the  reports  that  both  in  Guzerat  and 
Khandesh,  Havana  and  Shiraz  tobacco  will  flourish,  and  that 
they  may  be  introduced  Avithout  difliculty.  The  rj^ots,  it  is 
said,  preferred  the  new  kinds  to  their  own,  and  desire  their 
introduction,  the  foreign  varieties  commanding  a  higher 
price  in  the  market.  The  chief  drawback  is  the  want  of 
knowledge  and  appliances  for  the  proper  curing  of  the  leaf. 
This,  indeed,  is  the  great  drawback  throughout  India.  In 
the  district  of  Kaira  the  seed  is  always  sown  in  nursery  beds 
in  the  month  of  July,  and  transplanting  commences  about 
the  end  of  August,  the  operation  continuing  for  about  two 
months.  The  tobacco  planted  on  the  dry  soil  called  '  koor- 
mit '  ripens  and  is  fit  for  cutting  in  January  and  February ; 
that  which   is  grown  on  irrigated  land   during  March  and 


TURKS  CULTIVATING  TOBACCO.  369 

April.  In  Canara,  tobacco  is  f^enerally  grown  in  elevated 
situations.  The  seed  is  sown  in  August,  and  the  seedlings 
are  transplanted  in  November,  the  crop  arriving  at  maturity 
in  tln-ee  or  four  months.  North  Canara  derives  its  supply 
chiefly  from  Mysore,  the  leaf  produced  in  that  province  being 
said  to  be  less  liable  to  affect  the  head  than  that  of  the 
Canara  plant." 

The  Turk  and  his  family  love  to  cultivate  tobacco  as  well 
as  to  smoke  it ;  and  give  it  their  attention  from  seed-sowing 
until  it  is  sold  to  the  merchant.  The  Turk  is  very  particular 
in  cultivating  it,  as  on  its  color  depends  in  a  great  measure 
its  value.  He  commences  work  on  his  plant-bed  in  March, 
sowing  the  seed  about  the  same  time  as  the  Virginia  planters. 
After  the  leaves  are  gathered  the  same  scrupulous  care  is 
taken  with  them ;  especially  in  drying  and  baling,  that  the 
leaf  may  be  in  just  the  right  condition  to  ferment  properly, 
and  be  ready  to  be  assorted  by  the  "  tobacco  pickers."  The 
Turk  presses  his  whole  family  into  the  cultivation  of  the 
plants.  The  children  are  engaged  in  weeding  while  he 
waters  the  beds  or  prepares  the  tobacco  field  for  the  planting 
of  the  tobacco.  In  pruning  and  picking  the  leaves  he 
removes  only  those  that  are  small — the  removal  of  which  will 
still  further  advance  the  growth  of  the  plants,  and  is  careful 
to  gather  only  those  leaves  that  are  turning  yellow,  giving 
evidence  of  their  maturity.  Says  one  in  regard  to  the  culti- 
vation of  tobacco  in  Turkey  : 

"The  Turk  and  his  family,  it  will  seem,  have  now  been 
occupied  upon  their  tobacco  crop  for  nearly  a  whole  year. 
The  leaf  is  just  becoming  a  bright  light  yellow  when  it  falls 
into  the  hands  of  the  merchant,  and  it  is  during  this  period 
that  the  process  of  fermentation  or  heating  generally  occurs, 
before  wiiich  the  tobacco  can  not  be  shipped.  The  bales 
having  been  placed  in  the  merchant's  store,  are  left  end  up 
imtil  a  fermentation  or  baking  has  taken  place,  the  ends  being 
reversed  every  three  or  four  days.  In  the  course  of  a  few 
weeks  a  bale  is  reduced  to  about  two-thirds  of  its  original 
size.  It  is  then  placed  upon  its  sides  to  cool.  When  it  is 
discovered  to  be  cold  it  is  broken  open  by  the  native  tobacco- 
pickers,  and  every  leaf  sorted  and  classified.  The  patience 
with  which  this  operation  is  carried  out  is  truly  astonishing. 
24 


370 


PREPARING  FOR  MARKET. 


There  is  a  good  deal  of  difference  in  their  rate  of  work.  One 
man  may  pick  only  fifty  pounds  weight  a  day,  while  another 
does  twice  that  quantity.  It  is  necessary  to  watch  them 
closely,  or  they  will  put  a  dirty  brown  leaf  with  a  pale 
yellow.  They  neither  know  nor  care  about  the  losses  that 
may  be  incurred  by  the  merchant,  whose  samples  may  be  thus 
spoiled.  A  bale  of  leaf  purchased  at  five  piastres  per  oque, 
when  dissected  by  the  Greek  for  various  markets  will  be 
found  to  contain  varieties  ranging  in  price  from  5  to  60 
piastres ;  of  these  some  are  dispatched  to  Odessa,  some  to 
Smyrna,  others  to  Constantinople,  Alexandria,  and  England 
— the  mixed  and  common  qualities  generally  to  the  latter 
country,  the  price  there  obtained  being  the  least  remunerative 


TURKISH  TOBACCO    GOING   TO   MARKET. 

to  the  Greek  shippers.  The  bales  are  brought  _  from  the 
interior  to  the  shipping  ports  upon  mules,  each  animal  carry- 
ing two  bales ;  and  it  is  a  pretty  sight  to  witness,  say  150 
mules  at  a  time,  crossing  mountains  and  rugged  paths  with 
their  burdens,  followed  by  perhaps  fifty  camels  laden  with 
cotton,  marching  to  the  merry  tinkle  of  the  bells  on  their 
necks.  When  the  tobacco  reaches  the  shipping  port  the 
troubles  of  the  exporter  are  intensified.  ^  Tlie  bales  are  first 
taken  to  the  Custom  House,  and  there  weighed.  The  weights 
thus  arrived  at  are  compared  with  the  quantity  received  from 
the  interior,  and  if  there  be  any  material  difference  the  ship- 
per has  to  account  for  it.  If  any  has  been  sold  for  consump- 
tion in  Turkey,  duty  has  to  be  paid  upon  the  amount ;  and 
in  order  that  no  part  of  his  shipment  may  be  used  in  the 
country,  he  has  to  sign  a  bond  that  the  tobacco  shall  not  be 
landed  in  any  other  port  of  Turkey.     On  the  arrival  of 


JAPANESE  TOBACCO. 


371 


the  tobaceo  in  England,  the  landing  certificates  are  forwarded 
to  Turkey.  It  is  in  this  way  that  the  trade  is  retained  in  the 
hands  of  a  few  Greeks,  who  naturally  put  every  obstacle  in 
the  way  of  the  foreigner,  whose  sole  remedy  is  at  last  found 
to  be  the  payment  of  the  universal  'backshish,'  to  the 
comptroller  of  customs." 

The  merchant  who  buys  the  tobacco  of  the  planter  at  a 
low  price,  and  thereby  takes  the  profit  from  him  of  culti- 
vating it,  is  preyed  upon  in  the  same  manner  by  the  Greek 
buyers  who  have  the  sole  monopoly  of  the  trade.  Like  Shiraz 
tobacco,  that  of  Turkey  has  to  be  handled  frequently  and 
pass  through  several  stages  of  curing  before  it  is  ready  to  be 
manufactured.  In  this  respect  it  is  unlike  most  of  the 
tobaocos  of  America,  but  its  treatment  is  not  unlike  that  of 
the  varieties  of  the  East. 

The  tobacco  plant  is  cultivated  with  great  success  in  many 
of  the  provinces  of  Japan,  and  is  exported  in  large  quantities 

to  Europe.  The  leaf 
is  excellent,  and  is 
in  request  by  many 
buyers  of  Eastern 
tobaccos.  Robertson 
gives  the  following 
interesting  account 
^  of  the  Japan  tobacco 
^fields:— 

According  to  a 
account, 


natiV'C  account,  to- 
iLr^'""^^  bacco  was  introduced 
into  Japan  in  the 
year  1605,  and  was 
first  planted  at  Nag- 
asaki in  Hizen.  It 
is  now  very  generally  grown  throughout  the  country.  In 
the  province  of  Awa,  where  a  great  deal  of  tobacco  is  grown, 
the  seed  is  sown  in  early  spring  in  fields  well  exposed  to  the 
Bun  and  duly  prepared  for  its  reception.  Well  sifted  stable 
manure  is  strewn  over  the  field,  and  the  seedlings  appear  after 
the  lapse  of  about  twenty  days.  The  old  manure  is  then 
6wept  away,  and  liquid  manure  applied  from  time  to  time. 


JAPAN   TOBACCO    FIELD. 


372  CULTURE  OP  THE  PLANT. 

If  the  plants  are  too  dense  they  are  thinned  out.  The  larger 
plants  are  now  planted  out  into  fields  well  prepared  for  the 
purpose  in  rows,  with  about  eight  inches  space  between  each 
plant,  the  furrows  between  each  row  being  about  two  feet 


wide.  They  are  again  well  sprinkled  with  liquid  manure, 
also  with  the  lees  of  oil  at  intervals  of  about  seven  days.  A 
covering  of  wheat  or  millet  bran  is  now  laid  over  the  fur- 
rows. The  bitter  taste  of  the  leaf  is  in  a  measure  an  eifectual 
safeguard  against  the  ravages  of  insects,  but  the  leaves  are 
nevertheless  carefully  tended  to  prevent  damage  from  such 
cause.  If  the  reproduction  from  seed  is  not  desired  the 
flowers  should  be  cut  off  and  the  stem  pruned  down,  other- 
wise the  leaves  will  lose  in  scent  and  flavor.  In  Osumi 
exceptional  attention  is  paid  to  the  cultivation  of  the  tobacco 
plant.  The  lees  of  oil,  if  liberally  used,  and  stable  manure 
sparsely  applied,  have  great  effect  on  the  plant,  producing  a 
small  leaf  with  an  excellent  flavor ;  while,  if  the  opposite 
course  is  followed,  the  leaves  grow  to  an  immense  size,  but 
are  inferior  in  taste. 

"  When  the  flowers  are  in  full  bloom  the  '  sand '  leaves  are 
picked.  After  the  lapse  of  twelve  or  fourteen  days  the  leaves 
are  gathered  by  twos.  Any  leaves  that  may  remain  are 
afterwards  broken  off  along  with  the  stalk.  Any  sand  adher- 
ing to  the  leaves  is  removed  with  a  brush ;  the  stems  having 
been  cut  off,  the  leaves  are  rolled  round,  firmly  pressed  down 
with  a  thin  board,  and  cut  exactly  in  the  centre.  The  two 
halves  are  then  placed  one  on  the  top  of  the  other  in  such 
manner  that  the  edges  exactly  correspond,  and  being  in  this 
position  firmly  compressed  between  two  boards,  they  are  cut 
into  fine  strips,  the  degree  of  fineness  depending  on  the  skill 


GATHERING  THE  CROP. 


373 


of  the  cutter.  A  machine  made  of  hard  wood,  but  with  the 
vital  parts  of  iron,  is  used  by  some  persons  for  this  purpose. 
The  machine  was  devised  about  sixty  years  ago  by  a  skillful 
Yeddo  mechanic,  the  idea  being  taken  from  those  used  rn 
Osaka  and  Kiyoto  for  cutting  thread  used  for  weaving  into 
silk  embroidery.  Since  then  numerous  improvements  have 
been  made  in  it,  and  it  is  now  extremely  well  adapted  for  the 
economization  of  labor.  Another  machine  was  invented 
about  eight  years  since,  also  by  a  Yeddo  mechanic.  It  is 
smaller  than  the  first  mentioned,  but  being  very  easily  worked 
is  much  in  use.  Tobacco  is  sometimes  cut  in  the  following 
crude  manner : — The  leaves  are  piled  one  on  top  of  the  other, 
tightly  compressed  into  the  consistency  of  a  board,  and  then 
cut  into  shavings  by  a  carpenter's  plane.     This  is,  however, 


CHINESE  TOBACCO  FIELD. 

about  the  worst  method,  and  even  the  best  tobacco,  if  treated 
in  such  fashion,  loses  its  flavor  and  vahiable  qualities." 

In  China*  tobacco  is  cultivated  in  the  western  part  of  the 

*  ^  ?^^  t',*"  ^eat  plantations  of  tobacco,  which  thpy  call  tharr,  and  which  yield  Terr 
ConBiderable  profit,  as  it  is  universally  uflpd  in  smokiriB.  hy  peroons  of  all  ranks,  of  both 
jeieg  n  China;  and,  besides  great  (juantitles  are  sent  to  the  MongoUs.  wlio  prefer  tho 
Chinese  manner  of  preparing  it  before  any  othi-r.  They  make  it  into  a  groRs  powder,  like 
eaw-dust,  which  they  keep  In  a  small  bag,  and  fill  their  little  bress  pines  out  of  it,  without 
tonching  the  tobacco  with  their  flngeTa.— Bell's  Travels  in  Asia,  1716, 1719, 1722. 


374 


PERSIAN  TOBACCO. 


empire,  and  grows  almost  as  large  as  most  American  varieties. 
Chinese  tobacco  is  usually  light  in  color,  of  a  thin,  silky  text- 
ure, and  mixed  with  Turkey  tobacco,  is  a  considerable  feature 
in  the  export  trade  of  that  country.  The  Chinese  cultivate 
the  plant  like  the  Japanese,  and  give  it  as  much  care  and 
attention  as  they  do  the  tea  plant.  The  leaves  are  gathered 
when  ripe,  and  are  dried  and  well-assorted  before  baling. 
The  Chinese  planter  often  raises  large  fields  of  the  plants, 
and  employs  many  hands  to  tend  and  cultivate  them.  We 
give  a  cut  of  a  tobacco  field  and  the  planter  looking  at  the 
field  and  noting  the  progress  of  the  laborers. 

In  Persia  tobacco  is  cultivated  near  Shiraz,  which  gives 
name  to  the  variety.  The  soil  is  very  fertile  and  richly 
cultivated.  Not  only  does  the  tobacco  plant  flourish  finely, 
but  all  kinds  of  vegetables  grow  to  perfection.  The  Persians 
cultivate  the  plant  principally  for  their  own  use.  It  is  a  fine 
smoking  tobacco,  and  when  cured  properly  is  said  to  be  equal 
to  Latakia.  Their  mode  of  curing  is  unlike  that  adopted  by 
any  other  cultivators  of  the  weed  but  is  very  successful,  and 
is  no  doubt  the  proper  method  of  preparing  the  leaves  for 
use.     Their  mode  of  pressing  in  large  cakes  is  unlike  that  of 


TOBACCO  FIELD    IN    PERSIA. 


any  other  growers — but  doubtless  adds  to  the  aromatic  quality 
of  the  leaf  which  makes  it  so  popular  in  the  East. 
The  tobacco  field  is  trenched  so  as  to  retain  water,  while 


MANILLA  TOBACCO.  375 

the  plants  are  set  on  the  ridges  where  they  flourish  and 
mature  until  the  buds  and  flowers  are  broken  off.  The  har- 
vest occurs  in  the  autumn,  when  the  singular  process  of 
curing  begins. 

Abbott  says  of  the  culture  and  commerce  of  tobacco  in 
Persia : 

"  Jehrum,  South  Persia,  is  the  principal  mart  for  tobacco, 
which  is  brought  here  from  all  the  surrounding  districts,  and 
disposed  of  to  traders,  who  distribute  it  over  the  country  far 
and  near.  These  traders  are  numerous,  and  many  established 
here  are  wealthy ;  they  usually  transact  their  business  in  their 
private  houses,  without  resorting  to  the  caravansaries  of 
which  there  are  six  in  the  place.  There  are  many  grades 
and  qualities  of  Shiraz  tobacco  but  that  produced  at  Tuffres 
(according  to  Forster),  a  town  about  one  hundred  miles  to 
the  south-west  of  Turshish,  is  esteemed  the  best  in  Persia. 

"  Of  the  many  varieties  of  the  tobacco  plant  grown  in  the 
East,  that  known  as  Manilla  is  among  the  most  famous  and  the 
most  extensively  cultivated.  It  is  grown  in  several  of  the  Phil- 
ippine islands,  particularly  in  Luzon  and  the  southern  group, 
known  as  the  Visayos.  The  Philippines  are  a  large  group  of 
islands  in  the  North  Paciflc  Ocean,  discovered  by  Magellan 
in  1521 ;  they  were  afterwards  taken  posession  of  by  the 
Spaniards,  in  the  reign  of  Philip  II.,  from  whom  they  take 
their  name. 

"  The  islands  are  said  to  be  eleven  hundred  in  number,  but 
some  hundreds  of  them  are  very  small,  and  all  are  nominally 
subject  to  the  Spanish  government  at  Manilla.  The  Philip- 
pines produce  a  great  variety  of  tropical  products  such  as 
rice,  coffee,  sugar,  indigo,  tobacco,  cotton,  cacao,  abaca,  or  vege- 
table silk,  pepper,  gums,  cocoa-nuts,  dye-woods,  timber  of  all 
descriptions  for  furniture  and  the  buildings,  rattans  of  various 
kinds,  and  all  the  agreeable  fruits  of  the  tropics.  On  the 
shores  are  found  nacre,  or  mother  of  pearl,  magnificent  pearls, 
bird's-nests,  shells  of  every  description,  an  incredible  quan- 
tity of  excellent  fish,  and  the  trepang,  or  halate,  a  sea-worm, 
or  animal  substance,  found  on  the  shores  of  the  Philippine 
Islands,  resembling  a  large  pudding.  The  Chinese  esteem  it 
as  a  great  delicacy  and  mix  it  with  fowl  and  vegetables. 
The  inhabitants  practise  various  kinds  of  industry;  they 
weave  matting  of  extraordinary  fineness  and  of  the  brightest 
colors,  straw  hats,  cigar  cases  and  brackets ;  they  manufacture 
cloth  and  tissues  of  every  sort  from  cotton,  silk,  and  abaca ; 


376  TOBACCO  CULTURE,  PHILIPPINE  ISLANDS. 

they,  from  filaments  taken  from  the  leaves  of  the  etuana, 
make  cambric  of  a  texture  much  finer  than  that  of  France ; 
and  they  also  manufacture  coarse  strong  cloth  for  sails,  and 
ropes  and  cables  of  all  dimensions ;  they  tan  and  dress  leather 
and  skins  to  perfection  ;  they  manufacture  coarse  earthen 
ware,  and  forge  and  polish  arms  of  various  kinds ;  they  build 
ships  of  heavy  tonnage,  and  also  light  and  neat  boats  ;  and  at 
Manilla  they  frame  and  finish-off  beautiful  carriages ;  they 
are  also  very  clever  workers  in  gold,  silver,  and  copper;  and 
the  Indian  women  are  specially  expert  in  needlework,  and  in 
all  kinds  of  embroidery. 

"  The  island  of  Luzon  is  the  largest  of  the  Philippines,  and 
extends  from  north  to  south  for  the  length  of  about  six 
degrees.  It  is  divided  throughout  its  whole  extent  by  a 
chain  of  mountains,  which  in  general  owe  their  formation  to 
volcanic  eruptions.  In  the  provinces  of  Laguna  and  Batan- 
gas  there  is  the  high  mountain  called  Maijai,  one  of  the  lofti- 
est in  Luzon,  which  is  beyond  doubt  an  ancient  crater ;  on 
the  summit  a  little  lake  is  found,  the  depth  of  which  cannot 
be  measured.  At  some  period  the  lava  that  then  flowed 
from  the  summit  towards  the  base,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
town  of  Nacarlan,  covered  up  immense  cavities,  which  are 
now  recognizable  by  the  sonorous  noise  of  the  ground  for  a 
great  extent ;  and  sometimes  it  happens  that,  in  consequence 
of  an  inundation  or  an  earthquake,  this  volcanic  crust  is  in 
some  places  broken,  and  exposes  to  the  view  enormous 
caverns,  which  the  Indians  call  '  the  mouths  of  hell.'  In  the 
district  about  the  town  of  San  Pablo,  which  is  situated  on 
the  mountain,  are  found  great  numbers  of  little  circular  lakes 
and  immense  heaps  of  rotten  stones,  basalt,  and  different 
descriptions  of  lava,  which  show  that  all  these  lakes  are 
nothing  else  than  the  craters  of  old  volcanoes.  Altogether 
the  soil  to  the  southward,  in  the  province  of  Albai,  is  com- 
pletely volcanic,  and  the  frequent  eruptions  of  the  volcano 
bearing  that  name  may,  as  the  natives  say,  be  attributed  to 
the  same  cause  as  the  earthquakes  so  often  felt 'in  the  island 
of  Luzon.  Over  almost  the  whole  of  these  mountains,  where 
fire  has  played  so  conspicuous  a  part,  there  is  a  great  depth 
of  vegetable  earth,  and  they  are  covered  with  a  most  splendid 
vegetation.  Their  declivities  nourish  immense  forests  and 
fine  pastures  in  which  grow  gigantic  trees — palm  trees,  rat- 
tans, and  lianas  of  a  thousand  kinds,  or  gramineous  plants 
of  various  sorts,  particularly  the  wild  sugar  cane,  which  rises 
to  the  height  of  from  nine  to  twelve  feet  from  the  ground ; 


CLIMATE  OF  THE  ISLANDS. 


377 


in  their  interior  are  rich  mines  of  copper,  gold,  iron,  and  coal. 
"  There  are  two  distinct  and  strongly  marked  seasons  in 
the  island  of  Luzon,  namely,  the  rainy  or  the  wintry  season, 
and  the  dry  or  summer  season.  For  six  months  of  the  year 
— that  is  from  June  to  December — the  wind  blows  from  the 
south-west  to  the  north-east,  and  then  the  declivities  of  the 
mountains  and  all  the  western  side  of  the  island  are  in  the 
season  of  the  rains ;  in  the  six  other  months,  the  wind  changes, 


GROWING   TOBACCO   ON   THK    PHILIPPINE    ISLANDS. 

and  blows  from  the  north-east  to  the  south-west,  when  all 
the  eastern  parts  of  the  island  have  the  season  of  winter. 
During  the  rainy  season,  the  incessant  fall  of  rain  on  the 
mountains  causes  the  rivers,  both  large  and  small,  to  over- 
flow and  to  become  torrents,  that  rush  down  upon  the  plains, 
covering  them  with  w^ater,  and  depositing  the  broken  earth 
and  slime  which  they  have  gathered  in  their  course.  In  the 
dry  season,  water  is  supplied  for  irrigation  from  reservoirs, 
which  are  carefully  filled  during  the  rains.  From  these 
causes  it  follows  that  without  any  manuring,  and  with  scarcely 
any  improvement  from  human  industry,  the  soil  of  the 
Philippines  is  as  fertile  as  .any  in  the  world  ;  so  that,  without 
great  labor,  the  cultivator  has  most  abundant  harvests." 

The  above  description  of  the  Philippines  by  Gironiero 
gives  a  faithful  account  of  the  vast  resources  of  the  islands. 
Of  the  products  cultivated  rice  and  tobacco  are  the  most 
important.  The  finest  tobacco  plantations  are  situated  in  the 
northern  parts  of  the  island  of  Luzon,  and  furnish  the  finest 


378 


CULTIVATION. 


quality  of  Manilla  tobacco.  That  grown  in  the  Yisayos  is  of 
an  inferior  quality,  and  is  sold  to  merchants  holding  a  permit 
to  purchase  at  the  shipping  ports  and  transport  to  Manilla  for 
sale  to  the  government.  In  the  island  of  Luzon,  the  greatest 
quantity  of  tobacco  is  cultivated  in  the  provinces  of  Nueva 
Ecija  and  Cagavan. 

Tomlinson  in  an  account  of  the  tobacco  of  the  Philippines 
says :  "  Manilla  leaf  comes  from  the  three  principal  districts 
of  the  island  of  Luzon — Visayos,  Ygarotes  and  Cagayan," 
The  mode  of  cultivation  does  not  differ  in  any  great  respect 
from  that  followed  in  other  parts  of  the  world.  Great  seed 
beds  are  made  on  the  plantations  where  the  plants  are  grown 
until  ready  to  transplant  in  the  tobacco  ground.  Unlike 
most  land  adapted  for  tobacco,  large  crops  are  grown  without 
the  aid  of  any  fertilizer  whatever.  In  cultivating  the  plants, 
buffaloes  are  used,  yoked  one  after  the  other,  going  between 
the  rows  several  times,  and  at  the  last  ploughing  leaving  a 
trench  in  the  middle  of  the  rows,  for  letting  off  the  water. 
The  Indian  plow  used  in  cultivating  is  exceedingly  simple : 
it  is  composed  of  four  pieces  of  wood  which  the  most  unhandy 


TOBACCO    PLOW. 


ploughman  can  put  together,  with  the  mould  board  and  share, 
which  are  of  cast  iron.  The  lightness  and  simplicity  of  this 
plough  render  it  easy  to  be  used  in  every  kind  of  cultivation, 
where  the  plantations  are  divided  into  rows,  such  as  those  of 
tobacco,  maize  and  sugar  cane.  It  is  used  with  great  advan- 
tage, not  only  for  cutting  down  weeds,  but  also  for  giving  to 
each  row  a  ploughing,  which  is  serviceable  to  the  plantation. 


CURING  THE  CROP.  379 

and  which  is  less  costly  and  quicker  than  simple  weeding 
with  the  mattock. 

When  the  leaves  are  ripe  they  are  stripped  from  the  stalks 
and  separated  into  three  classes,  according  to  their  size,  and 
afterwards  made  into  bunches  of  fifty  or  a  hundred,  by 
passing  through  them,  near  the  foot,  a  little  bamboo  cane,  as 
if  it  was  a  skewer,  by  which  the  bunches  are  afterwards 
hung  up  to  dry  in  vast  sheds,  into  which  the  sun's  rays 
cannot  enter,  but  in  which  the  air  circulates  freely ;  they  are 
left  to  hang  there  until  they  become  quite  dry,  and  for  this, 
a  greater  or  less  time  is  required,  according  to  the  state  of 
the  weather.  When  the  drying  is  effected  the  leaves  are 
placed  according  to  their  quality,  in  bales  of  twenty-five 
pounds,  and  in  that  state  they  are  handed  over  to  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  monopoly.  Gironiere  in  describing  the  mode 
of  culture  on  the  tobacco  plantations  says : 

"  During  the  first  two  months  after  the  transplanting  it  is 
indispensably  necessary  to  give  four  ploughings  to  the  ground 
between  the  rows  of  the  plants,  and  every  fifteen  days  to 
handpick,  or  even  better,  to  root  out  with  the  mattock,  all 
the  weeds  which  cannot  be  touched  by  the  plough.  These 
four  ploughings  ought  to  be  done  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
leave  alternately  a  furrow  in  the  middle  of  each  line,  and  on 
the  sides,  and  consequently,  at  the  last  ploughing,  the  earth 
covers  the  plants  up  to  their  first  leaves,  leaving  a  trench  for 
carrying  off  all  water  that  may  accumulate  during  the  heavy 
rains.  As  soon  as  each  plant  has  gained  a  proper  height,  its 
head  is  lopped  off  to  force  the  sap  to  turn  into  the  leaves,  and, 
in  a  few  weeks  afterwards,  it  is  fit  for  being  gathered." 

The  tobacco  fields  or  plantations  are  very  large,  and 
together  with  the  vast  sheds  for  curing,  the  fields  present  a 
beautiful  appearance ;  the  long  straight  rows  with  their  dark 
green  leaves  adding  not  a  little  to  the  beauty  and  variety  of 
the  landscape.  The  great  growers  of  the  plant  are  very 
careful  in  cultivating  the  fields  and  give  the  tobacco  frequent 
hoeings,  until  ready  to  be  gathered  and  taken  to  the  sheds. 
The  planters  are  t)bliged  to  take  the  utmost  pains,  as  the 
product  is  obliged  to  be  given  up  to  the  monopolizing  gov- 
ernment which  is  the  sole  purchaser,  and  which,  in  its  great 


380 


FRAGRANT  MANILLAS. 


establishment  at  Binondoc,  employs  continually  from  15,000 
to  20,000  workmen  and  workwomen  in  manufacturing  cigars 
for  the  consumption  of  the  country  and  for  exportation. 

Manilla  tobacco  is  much  esteemed  in  the  islands  both  by 
the  Spaniards  and  the  Chinese.  The  custom  of  smoking  is 
universal  among  all  classes  and  at  all  times.  In  the  house, 
on  the  road  and  street,  the  aroma  of  a  fragrant  Manilla  is 
ever  borne  on  the  breeze.  The  Spaniards  are  the  principal 
owners  of  the  tobacco  fields,  and,  like  their  brother  planters 
on  the  island  of  Cuba,  are  fond  of  the  weed  and  its  more 
potent  companion.     After  a  luxurious  breakfast  the  planter 


SPANISH    PLANTERS. 


elevates  his  feet  for  a  quiet  smoke,  and  lights  either  a  cigar 
or  cheroot,  filling  the  room  with  smoke  and  with  the  most 
fragrant  perfume. 

Of  all  the  various  products  cultivated,  but  few  vie  with  the 
tobacco  plant  in  beauty  of  form  and  general  appearance. 
By  its  great  variety  of  colors  in  leaves  and  flowers,  it  ofiers  a 
striking  contrast  with  the  more  sombre  hues  of  most  other 


TROPICAL  TOBACCO.  381 

plants.  When  left  to  grow  until  the  plants  have  reached 
full  size,  the  tobacco  field  has  the  appearance  of  a  vast  flower 
garden,  the  tiny  blossoms  exhaling  their  fragrance  and  the 
entire  plant  emitting  odors  as  rare  and  as  delicate  as  the  most 
fragrant  exotic.  In  the  tropics  the  finest  tobacco  plantations 
are  found,  as  nature  is  more  lavish,  not  only  in  the  richness 
of  the  soil,  but  in  the  variety  of  the  vegetable  products. 
Here  the  tobacco  plant  attains  its  finest  form  and  most  deli- 
cately flavored  leaves.  The  hues  of  the  flowers  are  brighter 
and  their  fragrance  sweeter.  In  the  tropics  the  tobacco  field 
may  be  scented  from  afar,  as  its  odors  are  wafted  on  the 
breeze.  In  its  native  home  it  flourishes  and  matures  as 
readily  as  the  more  common  kinds  of  vegetation,  while  it 
aflfords  the  planter  a  larger  revenue  than  many  of  the  more 
useful  of  nature's  products. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

VAKIETIES. 

'HE  tobacco  plant  almost  vies  witli  the  palm  in  the 
number  of  varieties ;  botanists  having  enumerated  as 
many  as  forty,  which  by  no  means  includes  the  entire 
number  now  being  cultivated.  The  plant  shows  also 
a  great  variety  of  forms,  leaves,  color  of  flowers,  and  texture. 
Each  kind  has  some  peculiar  feature  or  quality  not  found  in 
another ;  thus,  one  variety  will  have  large  leaves,  while 
another  will  have  small  ones ;  one  kind  leaves  flowers  of  a 
pink  or  yellow  color,  another  white ;  one  variety  will  produce 
a  leaf  black  or  brown,  another  yellow  or  dark  red.  The 
following  list  includes  nearly  all  of  the  principal  varieties 
now  cultivated : — Connecticut  seed  leaf  (broad  and  narrow 
leaf),  New  York  seed  leaf,  Pennsylvania  (Duck  Island),  Vir- 
ginia and  Maryland  (Pry or  and  Frederick,  James  River, 
etc.),  North  Carolina  (Yellow  Orinoco,  and  Gooch  or  Pride 
of  Granville,  etc.),  Ohio  Seed  leaf  (broad  leaf),  Ohio  leaf 
(Thick  Set,  Pear  Tree,  Burley,  and  White),  Texas,  Louisiana 
(Perique),  Florida,  Kentucky,  Missouri,  Wisconsin,  Havana, 
Yara,  Mexican,  St.  Domingo,  Columbia  (Columbian,  Giron, 
Esmelraldia,  Palmyra,  Ambolima),  Rio  Grande,  Brazil, 
Orinoco,  Paraguay,  Porto  Rico,  Arracan,  Greek,  Java, 
Sumatra,  Japan,  Hungarian,  China,  Manilla,  Algerian,  Tur- 
key, Holland  (Amersfoort),  Syrian  (Latakia),  French  (St. 
Omer),  Russian,  and  Circassian.  Many  of  these  varieties 
are  well  known  to  commerce,  and  others  are  hardly  known 
outside  the  limit  of  their  cultivation. 

All  of  these  varieties  may  be  divided  into  three  classes,* 

'Probably  most  writers  would  divide  tobacco  Into  but  two  classes,  Includlnsr  tobacco  used 
lor^he  manufacture  of  sauff  with  cut  tobacco. 

382 


KINDS  USED  FOR  CIGARS.  383 

viz.:  cigar,  snuff,  and  cut-leaf  tobacco.  The  first  class,  cigar 
leaf,  includes  all  those  varieties  of  tobacco  that  are  used  in 
the  manufacture  of  cigars,  and  embraces  the  finest  quality  of 
tobacco  grown,  including  Connecticut  seed  leaf,  Havana, 
Yara,  Manilla,  Giron,  Paraguayan,  Mexican,  Brazilian, 
Sumatra,  etc.  The  second  class  embraces  all  of  the  varieties 
used  in  the  manufacture  of  snuff,  such  as  Virginia,  Holland 
(Amersfoort),  Brazilian,  French  (St.  Omer),  etc.  The  third 
class  includes  all  of  those  tobaccos  used  for  smoking  and 
chewing  purposes,  such  as  Virginia,  Kentucky,  Missouri, 
Ohio,  Maryland,  Latakia,  Perique,  Turkish,  and  others. 

South  American  tobaccos  are  almost  exclusively  used  for  the 
manufacture  of  cigars.  Although  of  various  qualities,  they 
possess  the  distinctive  flavor  which  characterizes  all  tobacco 
used  for  this  purpose.  This  is  generally  the  case  with  most 
of  the  tobacco  grown  in  the  tropics — it  seems  to  be  especially 
adapted  for  the  manufacture  of  cigars,  rather  than  for  cutting 
purposes.  European  tobaccos  are  milder  in  flavor,  and  are 
used  extensively  in  the  manufacture  of  snuff;  while  the 
tobacco  of  the  East  is  well  adapted  for  the  pipe. 

Tobacco  to  be  used  for  cigars  must  not  only  be  of  good 
flavor,  but  must  burn  freely,  without  which  it  has  no  real 
value  for  this  purpose.  Non-burning  tobaccos  cannot  be 
used,  and  are  either  employed  in  the  manufacture  of  snuff  or 
for  cutting. 

Of  the  many  kinds  of  tobacco  of  both  the  Old  and  New 
World,  doubtless  the  most  curious  of  all  is  that  kind  known 
as 

DWARF  TOBACCO. 

This  plant  is  a  native  of  Mexico,  and  was  discovered  by 
Houston,  who  found  it  growing  near  Vera  Cruz.  This  is 
probably  the  smallest  kind  of  tobacco  known.  The  plant 
grows  to  the  height  of  about  eighteen  inches,  the  leaves  grow- 
ing in  tufts  at  the  base  of  the  plant.  Some  have  supposed 
this  tobacco  to  be  what  is  known  as  Deer  Tongue,  which  is 
used  for  flavoring,  but  it  is  quite  probable  that  it  is  entirely 
different.     The  leaf  is  small  and  light  green,  and  it  is  quite 


384 


DWARF  TOBACCO. 


MEXICAN    DWARF   TOBACCO. 


a  sho^vy  plant  when  in  blossom.  As  a  curiosity  it  can  hardly 
fail  to  attract  attention  from  all  those  acquainted  and  inter- 
ested in  tobacco,  but 
will  hardly  admit  of 
cultivation,  on  ac- 
count of  the  absence 
of  leaves,  with  the 
exception  of  the  few 
growing  n  ear  the 
ground.  Of  all  the 
tobaccos  used  for 
the  manufacture  of 
cigars,  none  have 
obtained  an  equal 
reputation  (simply 
as  a  cigar  wrapper) 
with  the  famous  and   much  sought  for  variety  known  as 

CONNECTICUT  SEED  LEAF, 

which  in  all  respects  towers  far  above  the  seed  products  of  the 
other  states.  The  varieties  cultivated  in  the  United  States 
and  known  as  "seed  leaf"  tobaccos,  are  grown  in  Connecti- 
cut, Massachusetts,  Vermont,  New  Hampshire,  New  York, 
Pennsylvania,  Ohio  and  Wisconsin.  All  of  the  seed  leaf  of 
these  states  is  used  exclusively  in  the  manufacture  of  cigars. 
Connecticut  seed  leaf  is  justly  celebrated  as  the  finest  known 
for  cigar  wrappers,  from  the  superiority  of  its  color  and 
texture,  and  the  good  burning  quality  of  the  leaf.  The  plant 
grows  to  the  height  of  about  five  feet,  with  leaves  from  two 
and  one  half  to  three  feet  in  length  and  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  inches  broad,  fitted  preeminently  by  their  large  size 
for  wrappers,  which  are  obtained  at  such  a  distance  from  the 
stem  of  the  leaf  as  to  be  free  from  large  veins. 

Connecticut  seed  leaf  tobacco  in  color,  is  either  dark  or 
light  cinnamon,  two  of  the  most  fashionable  colors  to  be 
found  in  American  tobaccos.  The  plant  is  strong  and  vigor- 
ous, ripening  in  a  few  weeks,  and  when  properly  cultivated 


CONNECTICUT  SEED  LEAF. 


385 


attaining  a  very  large  size.  There  are  two  principal  varie- 
ties of  Connecticut  seed  leaf,  viz. — broad  and  narrow  leaf:  of 
these  two,  the  broad  leaf  is  considered  the  finest,  cutting  up 
to  better  advantage  and  ripening  and  curing  fully  as  well. 


CONNECTICUT  SEED  LEAF. 


Connecticut  seed  leaf  attains  its  finest  form  and  perfection  of 
leaf  in  the  rich  meadows  of  the  Connecticut  Yalley,  where 
it  has  been  cultivated  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  for  nearly 
half  a  century. 

The  plant  is  one  of  the  most  showy  of  all  the  varieties  of 
tobacco.  The  stalk  is  straight  and  large,  while  the  leaf 
(especially  the  broad)  is  admirably  proportioned,  and  the  top 
is  broad  and  graceful,  rendering  it  far  more  symmetrical  in 
appearance  than  many  of  the  smaller  varieties. 

Before  Connecticut  tobacco  became  known  as  a  wrapper, 

Maryland  and  Havana  tobaccos  were  used  for  this  purpose, 

and  when  Connecticut  first  came  into  use,  it  was  only  as  a  filler. 

This  variety  differs   very  materially   from   Havana  in   this 

respect — it  has  not  that  fine  flavor  of  Cuba  tobacco,  but  in 

texture  is  much  superior.     The  lighter  shades  of  it   burn 

purely  and  freely,  leaving  a  white  or  pearl  colored  ash,  which 

is  one  of  the  best  evidences  of  a  good  wrapper.     The  leaf 
25 


386  ORIGIN  OF  THIS  VARIETY. 

also  is  very  firm  and  strong,  and  suflBcientlj  elastic  to  bear 
considerable  manipulating  in  manufacture.  The  various 
shades  also  of  the  two  colors,  dark  and  light  brown  or  cinna- 
mon, are  among  the  finest  and  most  delicate  of  any  to  be 
found  among  the  numerous  kinds  of  tobacco  used  for  cigars. 
The  color  of  the  wrapper,  however,  is  merely  a  matter  of 
taste ;  when  first  used  for  a  wrapper  the  color  in  demand  was 
a  dark  brown  or  cinnamon,  now  it  is  light  cinnamon  leaf  that 
is  the  most  fashionable,  and  leaf  of  this  color  is  considered 
the  finest  and  of  the  most  delicate  flavor.  As  a  superior 
burning  tobacco,  seed  leaf  especially  commends  itself,  and 
while  all  of  the  seed  products  of  the  various  states  producing 
this  description  of  tobacco,  are  remarkable  for  their  good 
burning  qualities,  none  are  more  so  than  Connecticut  seed 
leaf. 

Thorough  cultivation  by  the  growers  has  made  this  quality 
of  tobacco  the  most  profitable  of  any  grown  in  the  United 
States.  Some  considerable  controversy  has  arisen  among 
tobacco-growers  concerning  the  origin  of  this  famous  variety. 
One  opinion  sets  forth  that  it  sprung  from  plants  or  seeds 
brought  from  Virginia,  while  another  is  that  tobacco  seed 
from  Cuba  gave  it  origin.  Most  probably  the  former  theory 
is  correct,  as  the  plant  was  cultiv^ated  in  gardens  in  New  Eng- 
land, during  the  reign  of  Charles  I. 

However  this  may  be,  the  system  of  cultivation  pursued 
has  been  successful  in  the  production  of  a  leaf  tobacco  that 
can  hardly  be  improved,  so  far  as  the  texture  of  the  leaf  is 
concerned.  Some  of  the  "  selections  "  of  seed  leaf  have  that 
fine  soft  feeling  peculiar  to  satin  or  silks,  and  we  have  seen 
specimens  of  such  selections,  that  seemed  almost  destitute  of 
veins,  or  anything  that  would  naturally  suggest  that  it  was  a 
leaf.  In  this  respect  it  is  quite  remarkable,  for  while  the 
leaf  is  very  large  the  stem  and  veins  are  quite  small,  no 
larger  than  in  many  varieties  with  a  much  smaller  leaf. 
From  its  first  cultivation  in  the  Connecticut  valley,  the 
quality  has  gradually  improved  until  now,  and  it  seems  at 
last  to  possess  almost  every  feature  desirable  in  a  good  wrapper. 


HAVANA  TOBACCO.  387 

This  famous  variety  of  the  tobacco  plant  is  by  common  con- 
sent the  finest  flavored  tobacco  for  cigars 
now  being  cultivated.  Some,  however, 
consider  Paraguay ian,  Brazil,  and  Mexi- 
can coast  tobacco  its  equals,  wdiile,  accord- 
ing to  Tomlinson,  Macuba  tobacco,  grown 
on  the  island  of  Martinica,  stands  at  the 
head  of  all  varieties  of  the  plant.  These 
statements  may,  however,  be  regarded  as 
mere  opinions  rather  than  acknowledged 
facts. 

Havana  tobacco,  according  to  Hazard,  ^^^^^^  ^^^^^^^ 
"  grows  to  a  height  of  from  six  to  nine 
feet,  as  allowed,  with  oblong,  spear-shaped  leaves ;  the  tobac- 
co being  stronger  when  few  leaves  are  permitted  to  grow. 
The  leaves  when  young  are  of  a  dark -green  color  and  have 
rather  a  smooth  appearance,  changing  at  maturity  into 
yellowish-green.  The  plant  grows  quickly,  and  by  careful 
pruning  a  fine  colored  leaf  is  obtained,  varying  from  a  straw 
color  to  dark  brown  or  black."  The  plant  bears  a  pink 
blossom,  which  is  succeeded  by  capsules  not  quite  as  large  as 
those  of  seed-leaf  tobacco.  The  finest  is  grown  in  the  Yuelta 
d«  Abajo,  which,  for  nearly  a  century,  has  been  celebrated  as 
a  fine  tobacco-producing  district.  "When  growing,  a  vega  of 
Havana  tobacco  forms  a  most  pleasing  feature  of  the  land- 
scape. As  the  plants  ripen,  the  dark,  glossy  green  of  the 
leaves  is  succeeded  by  a  lighter  shade  and  a  thickening  of 
the  leaf.  The  plant  ripens  in  from  eight  to  ten  weeks  after 
being  transplanted.  The  stalk  and  leaves  are  not  as  large  as 
its  great  rival,  Connecticut  seed-leaf,  but  it  far  surpasses  it  in 
flavor.  The  plant  emits  a  pleasant  odor  while  growing,  like 
most  varieties  of  the  plant  grown  in  the  tropics. 

YAKA  TOBACCO. 

This  variety  of  tobacco,  like  Havana,  is  grown  upon  the 
island  of  Cuba,  but  is  unlike  it  in  flavor,  as  well  as  in  the 
appearance  of  the  plant.  It  is  well  known  as  an  admirable 
tobacco  for  cigars,  but  is  not  sought  after  or  grown  to  such 


388  YARA  AND  VIRGINIA  TOBACCO. 

an  extent  as  Havana.  The  leaf  when  growing,  is  in  color  a 
fine  green,  and  when  cured  is  of  considerable  body  and  fine 
texture.     A  writer  in  alluding  to  Yara  tobacco  says : 

"The  most  noted  vega  or  tobacco  plantation  is  situated 
near  Santiago  de  Cuba  and  is  called  Yara.  The  choicest 
tobacco  is  that  grown  on  the  banks  of  rivers  which  are  peri- 
odically overflowed.  They  are  called  Lo  E.io,  Rio  Hondo, 
and  Pinar  del  Hio,  and  the  tobacco  is  distinguished  from  all 
other  grown  upon  the  island  by  a  fine  sand  which  is  found 
in  the  creases  of  the  leaves." 

The  flavgr  of  Yara  tobacco  is  so  essentially  difierent  from 
Havana,  that  it  is  not  cultivated  as  extensively,  if  indeed  it 
could  be.  It  is  grown  more  particularly  for  home  use  and 
for  exporting  to  Europe,  where  it  is  considered  one  of  the 
finest  of  tobaccos.  Of  the  other  varieties  grown  in  the  West 
Indies  such  as  St.  Domingo,  Jamaica,  and  Trinidad,  much 
may  be  said  both  in  praise  and  dispraise.  St.  Domingo  and 
Trinidad  have  been  cultivated  for  more  than  two  hundred 
years.  St.  Domingo  tobacco  has  a  large  leaf,  but  is  of  infe- 
rior flavor  to  most  varieties  of  "West  India  tobacco. 

Virginia  tobacco  has  acquired  a  reputation  which  has  grad- 
ually strengthened  for  more  than 
two  hundred  and  fifty  years.  It 
was  one  of  the  first  products  to  be 
cultivated  by  the  English  colony, 
and  in  less  than  a  quarter  of  a 
century  after  the  settlement  of 
Virginia,  had  acquired  a  reputa- 
tion hardly  surpassed  by  its  well 
known  rivals,  Trinidad,  Brazil, 
St.  Domingo,  and- Varinos  tobac- 
cos. The  plant  grows  to  the 
height   of    from   five   to    seven 

VIRGINIA  TOBACCO.  O 

feet;  the  leaves  are  long  and 
broad,  and  when  cured  are  of  various  colors,  from  a  rich 
brown  to  a  fine  yellow.  The  finest  of  Virginia  tobacco  comes 
from  the  mountainous  counties,  but  the  amount  is  small  in 
proportion  to  the  vast  quantities  raised  on  the  lowlands  of 


JAMES  RIVER  TOBACCO.  389 

the  Dan  and  James  rivers  and  their  tributaries.  The  leaf 
grown  in  the  higher  counties  of  South-western  Virginia  is 
much  lighter  in  color  and  much  softer  than  the  ordinary 
Virginia  tobacco.  Shades  of  color  in  Virginia  tobacco  (as 
well  as  in  most  others)  serve  to  determine  its  use,  while  text- 
ure and  length  of  leaf  affect  as  well  its  market  value.  There 
are  various  grades  of  Virginia  tobacco,  especially  in  that 
grown  in  Southside,  Virginia.  "  Long  bright  leaf "  is  con- 
sidered the  finest,  while  that  known  as  "  Luga"  is  the  poorest 
and  lowest  grade  of  leaf. 

The  staple  known  as  James  River  tobacco  has  acquired  a 
world-wide  reputation,  and  the  same  ground  is  cultivated 
and  planted  with  tobacco  now  as  in  1620.  Virginia  tobacco 
is  known  chiefly  as  a  cut  tobacco ;  "  good,  stout  snufF  leaf  "  is 
also  obtained  from  it,  which  brings  as  much  in  European 
markets  as  "  fine  spinners."  Missouri,  Kentucky,  and  some 
parts  of  Ohio  also  produce  large  quantities  for  manufacturing 
into  chewing  and  smoking  tobacco. 

OHIO  TOBACCO. 
The  tobacco  plant  has  been  cultivated  in  this  State  for 


OHIO    WHITE  TOBACCO. 

nearly  fifty  years.     Sullivan,  in  describing  the  kinds  used 

for  cutting,  says : — 


390  OHIO  TOBACCO. 

"Two  kinds  ot  seed  are  used,  viz.,  the  'Thick  Set' and 
the  '  Pear  Tree,'  and  of  late  years  the  '  Bnrley '  has  come 
into  favor.  Nearly  all  tobacco  grown  in  Ohio  is  '  fired,'  that 
is,  cured  by  fires  or  flues  ;  it  is  packed  in  hogsheads  of  about 
eight  hundred  pounds  net." 

Another  writer  says : — 

"  In  some  parts  her  soil  produces  a  fine  yellow  article 
called  '  Northern  Ohio ;'  it  is  manufactured  into  the  finest 
quality  of  smoking  tobacco,  and  is  extensively  used  by  all 
epicures  of  the  meerschaum,  both  in  this  country  and  in 
Europe.  Ohio  also  produces  another  variety  called  Ohio  seed 
leaf,  or  more  familiarly, '  Seed.' " 

While  in  another  section  she  produces  an  excellent  article 
of  leaf  for  chewing.  Ohio  tobacco  of  all  kinds  is  a  large 
plant,  and  cures  "  down  "  to  fine  colors.  One  variety  for 
cutting,  known  as  "  cinnamon  blotch,"  is  a  leaf  of  good  body 
and  is  considered  an  excellent  tobacco  for  chewing.  A  few 
years  since  a  variety  originated  in  a  very  curious  manner. 
We  give  the  account  as  published  by  Prof.  E.  W.  Smith : — 

"  This  tobacco  is  known  by  the  name  of  White  tobacco. 
The  seed  was  procured  about  three  years  ago,  in  a  very  sin- 
gular way.  There  were  a  few  hills  of  tobacco  that  looked 
very  singular,  situated  near  a  thicket  of  bushes  and  trees. 
The  rising  morning  sun  sent  its  rays  through  this  thicket, 
striking  diagonally  upon  a  few  hills,  and  producing  by  some 
chemical  law  or  daguerreotyping  process  the  (white)  tobacco. 
The  tobacco  was  allowed  to  go  to  seed.  This  seed  was  sown 
the  next  year,  and  produced  the  same  kind  of  tobacco.  The 
tobacco,  before  the  white  tobacco  was  daguerreotyped,  was  a 
cinmamon  blotch,  so  it  may  be  seen  by  this  freak  of  nature 
how  it  was  changed  from  red  to  white." 

PEEIQUE  TOBACCO. 

There  are  many  varieties  of  tobacco  well  adapted  for 
emoking,  of  all  colors  and  strengths.  Of  American  tobaccos 
suitable  for  this  purpose,  none  have  acquired  a  wider  reputa- 
tion at  home  than  Perique.  It  is  cultivated  only  in  small 
quantities  in  one  or  two  parishes  in  Louisiana.  Perique 
tobacco  may  be  used  not  only  for  smoking,  but  for  chewing 
and  for  snuff.     The  leaf  when  cured  measures  some  eighteen 


A  FAMOUS  REPUTATION.  391 

inches  in  length  by  fourteen  in  width,  is  thick  and  substan- 
tial, has  the  appearance  of  a  rich  Kentucky  tobacco,  and 
when  placed  under  press  immediately  after  being  cured 
becomes  black  without  the  aid  of  any  artificial  means.  It  is 
put  up  in  rolls,  or,  as  they  are  called,  "  carrots."  This  tobacco 
is  raised  mostly  in  the  parish  of  St.  James,  La.,  and  derives 
its  name  from  an  old  Spanish  navigator  who  settled  in  St. 
James  parish  in  the  year  1820.  His  first  attempt  at  raising 
tobacco,  for  his  own  use,  succeeded  so  well  and  gave  him 
such  a  fine  result,  (the  plant  developing  itself  to  a  great  extent 
and  being  very  rich,)  that  he  concluded  to  devote  all  his  time 
to  the  culture  of  tobacco,  in  order  to  make  a  living  out  of  it. 

The  seed  first  used  by  him  was  the  Kentucky,  but  this  was 
subsequently  changed  for  the  Virginia,  which  has  been  in 
use  up  to  this  time,  being  renewed  every  four  or  five  years. 
The  tobacco  originally  put  up  by  Perique  was  twisted  by 
hand  and  placed  under  press  for  three  or  four  days,  then 
taken  out,  untwisted,  retwisted  and  replaced  in  the  press  for 
five  or  six  days.  After  undergoing  the  same  process  three  or 
four  different  times,  it  was  finally  left  to  remain  under  press 
for  six  months,  and  then  taken  out  for  use.  Mr.  Perique,  how- 
ever, soon  made  a  capital  improvement  in  the  mode  of  put- 
ting up  his  tobacco  ;  for,  as  early  as  the  year  1824,  we  find 
the  tobacco  in  beautiful  rolls  of  four  pounds,  and  as  hard  as 
a  "  Sancisson  de  Boulogne." 

This  tobacco,  which  has  retained  the  name  of  its  producer, 
is  still  manufactured  in  the  same  manner  as  it  was  fifty-four 
years  ago,  the  work  still  being  done  entirely  by  hand.  The 
plant  is  cultivated  as  the  Virginia  tobacco  by  about  a  dozen 
small  planters  in  that  part  of  the  Parish  called  "  Grande- 
Pointe,"  seven  miles  from  the  Mississippi  river.  A  small 
quantity  is  also  raised  on  the  banks  of  the  river  in  the  same 
parish  by  a  few  planters.  The  growers  of  Perique  tobacco 
have  tried  Virginia,  Kentucky,  and  Havana  seed,  but  prefer 
the  former — Havana  producing  too  small  a  plant  without  a 
much  better  flavor. 

Tobacco  is  grown  in  other  parishes   of  the  State;  it  is 


392  SOUTH  AMERICAN  TOBACCO. 

however  of  inferior  quality,  and  is  used  only  for  smoking  or 
snuff.  Perique  tobacco,  when  cut  for  smoking,  is  very  black 
in  appearance,  exceedingly  smooth,  and  of  peculiar  odor.  It 
is  probably  the  thinnest  tobacco  cultivated;  and  is  strong, 
but  of  agreeable  flavor. 

PERUVIAN  TOBACCO. 

John  Gerard  gives  the  following  description  of  the  tobacco 
of  Peru : 

"  Tobacco,  or  henbane  of  Peru,  hath  very  great  stalks  of 
the  bigness  of  a  child's  arme,  growing  in  fertile  and  well- 
dunged  ground  of  seven  or  eight  feet  high,  dividing  itself  in 
sundry  branches  of  great  length ;  whereon  are  placed  in 
most  comely  order  very  faire,  long  leaves,  broad,  smooth  and 
sharp-pointed,  soft  and  of  a  light  green  color;  so  fastened 
about  the  stalk  that  they  seem  to  embrace  and  compass  it 
about.  The  flowers  grow  at  the  top  of  the  stalks  in  shape 
like  a  bell-flower,  somewhat  long  and  cornered ;  hollow  within, 
of  a  light  carnation  color,  tending  to  whiteness  towards  the 
rims.  The  seed  is  contained  in  long,  sharp-pointed  cods,  or 
seed-vessels,  like  unto  the  seed  of  yellow  henbane,  but  some- 
what smaller,  and  browner  of  color.  The  root  is  great,  thicke 
and  of  a  wooddy  substance,  with  some  threddy  strings 
annexed  thereunto." 

MEXICAN  TOBACCO. 

The  tobacco  plant  seems  to  have  been  cultivated  in  Mexico 
from  time  immemorial.  Francisco  Lopez  de  Gomara,  who 
was  chaplain  to  Cortez,  when  he  made  conquest  of  Mexico, 
in  1519,  alludes  to  the  plant  and  the  custom  of  smoking ;  and 
Diaz  relates  that  the  king  Montezuma  had  his  pipe  brought 
with  much  ceremony  by  the  chief  ladies  of  his  court,  after 
he  had  dined  and  washed  his  mouth  with  scented  water. 
The  Spaniards  encouraged  its  cultivation,  and  to  this  day  it  is 
grown  in  several  of  the  coast  states.  Various  kinds  are  cnl- 
tivated,  but  chiefly  a  variety  bearing  yellow  flowers,  with  a 
large  leaf  of  fine  flavor  resembling  the  Havana.  The  plant 
is  a  favorite  with  the  Mexicans,  who  prefer  it  to  any  other 
product    grown.     It  is    cultivated    like    most    varieties  of 


CELEBRATED  BRANDS  OF  TOBACCO.        393 

the  tropics,  and  is  hardly  inferior  to  any  grown  in  the  "West 
Indies,  and  is  especially  adapted  for  cigars  and  cigaritos. 
After  the  first  harvest  another,  and  sometimes  a  third  crop 
is  gathered  by  allowing  one  shoot  to  grow  from  the  parent 
root,  which  oftentimes  develops  to  a  considerable  size.  The 
quality  of  leaf,  however,  is  inferior ;  as  is  the  case  with  all 
second  and  third  crops  grown  in  this  manner. 

ST.   DOMINGO  TOBACCO. 

This  well-known  West  India  variety  is  inferior  to  most 
kinds  grown  on  the  neighboring  islands.  The  plant  attains 
a  large  size,  cures  dark,  is  coarse,  and  of  inferior  flavor.  It 
is  a  favorite  tobacco  in  Germany,  and  thousands  of  Ceroona 
are  annually  shipped  to  Hamburg.  The  West  India  islands 
produce  many  varieties  of  tobacco,  which  is  owing  more  to 
the  composition  of  the  soil  and  climate  than  to  the  method 
of  cultivation  and  curing. 

The  demand  for  St.  Domingo  tobacco  is  limited.  It  has 
no  established  reputation  in  this  country,  and  on  account  of 
the  high  duties  can  not  compete  with  our  domestic  tobaccos. 

LATAKIA  TOBACCO. 

This  variety  of  the  tobacco  plant  is  one  of  the  most  cele- 
brated known  to  commerce.  It  attains  its 
finest  form  and  flavor  in  Syria,  where  it  is 
cultivated  to  a  considerable  extent.  For 
smoking  it  is  among  the  best  of  the  varieties 
of  the  East,  and  is  used  for  the  more  deli- 
cate cut  tobaccos  and  cigars.  It  grows  to  the 
height  of  three  feet — each  offshoot  bearing 
flowers,  the  leaves  of  which  are  ovate  in 
form,  and  are  attached  to  the  stalk  by  a 
long  stem.     The  flowers  are   yellow,  and    ^-^takia  tobacco. 

"  J  '  (sybia). 

number  only  a  few   in  comparison   with 
most  varieties.     When  growing,   the  leaves  are  thick,   but 
after  curing  are  thin  and  elastic.     The  stalk  is  small,  as  are 
also  the  leaves.     While  growing,  the  plants  emit  a  strong 


394  RUSSIAN  TOBACCO. 

aromatic  odor  not  like  that  of  Havana  tobacco,  but  stronger 
and  less  agreeable. 

The  plant  was  introduced  into  this  country  by  Bayard 
Taylor,  and  attains  its  full  size  in  the  Connecticut  valley, 
where  it  has  been  tested  by  many  growers.  After  curing, 
the  leaf  is  a  bright  yellow  of  agreeable  flavor,  having  the 
odor  of  ashes  of  roses.  The  flavor  is  similar  to  Turkish 
tobacco,  but  is  said  to  be  less  delicate. 

After  harvesting,  the  plants  cure  rapidly  and  on  account 
of  their  small  size  rarely  sweat.  Latakia  tobacco,  however, 
is  not  adapted  to  the  taste  of  American  smokers,  most  of 
whom  prefer  tobacco  of  home  growth  to  even  the  finest  of 
Turkish  leaf.  Latakia  tobacco  can  be  raised  with  less  labor 
than  most  varieties.  Its  diminutive  size  and  its  unpopular- 
ity, however,  prevent  its  general  culture  in  this  country. 

RUSSIAN  TOBACCO. 

In  no  other  country  in  Europe  is  the  tobacco  plant  attract- 
ing as  much  as  attention  as  in  the  empire  of  Russia.  The 
varieties  grown  in  America,  Cuba,  Turkey,  and  Persia,  have 
been  tried,  renewing  the  seed  once  in  two  or  three  years. 
The  tobacco  of  Russia  is  mild,  and  of  inferior  flavor,  and 
brings  from  40  to  80  kopecks  per  pood.  A  very  good  quality 
of  tobacco  is  grown  in  the  trans- Caucasian  provinces;  it  also 
flourishes  well  in  the  Southern  provinces. 

The  plants  attain  good  size,  but  lack  that  fine  flavor  when 
cured  that  other  tobaccos  possess.  A  recent  traveler  through 
Russia,  describing  the  tobacco,  says : 

"  Russian  tobacco  is  very  mild  and  rather  sweet  flavored, 
though  not  equal  in  aroma  to  the  Havana,  or  posessing  that 
rich  ripe  taste  so  much  prized  in  that  well  known  tobacco." 

COLOMBIA  TOBACCO. 

Colombia  has  long  been  celebrated  for  the  quality  and 
varieties  of  its  tobacco.  Its  cultivation  has  been  carried  on 
for  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  years,  and  Yarinian 
tobacco  had  obtained  a  well  established  reputation  in  Europe 


COLOMBIAN  TOBACCO,  395 

long  before  Raleigh's  "  would-be-colonists "  sailed  for  Vir- 
ginia. The  principal  varieties  grown  are  Colombian,  Carmen, 
Ambalema,  Palmyra,  and  Giron.  Most  of  these  tobaccos 
are  used  for  cigar  purposes,  especially  the  latter.  The  leaf  is 
fine,  of  good  size,  and  marked  with  light  yellow  spots. 
Tanning  says  of  the  tobacco  of  Colombia : 

"  The  Cumanacoa,  Tobacco  de  la  Cueva,  de  los  Misones,  de 
la  Laguna  de  Valencia  cura  seca  and  Caraco,  de  la  Lagunade 
Valencia  cura  negro,  de  Oriluca,  de  Varinos  cnra  seca,  de 
Casovare,  de  Baylodores,  de  Rio  Negro  en  Andull,  are  equal 
to  the  tobacco  of  the  Brazils.  The  tobacco  of  the  Cueva,  in 
the  department  of  Cumana,  is  said  to  be  grown  from  the 
excrements  of  certain  birds  deposited  by  them  in  a  cavity, 
from  which  the  natives  extract  it :  it  is  considered  the  finest 
tobacco  in  Colombia.     The  birds  are  a  species  of  the  owl. 

"  The  natives  of  Varinos,  and  in  fact  of  the  whole  kingdom, 
chew  a  substance  called  chimo,  which  is  made  of  a  jelly,  by 
boiling  the  Varinos  tobacco,  and  afterwards  mixed  with  an 
alkali  called  hurado,  which  is  found  in  a  lake  near  Merida. 
Both  are  an  estanco  of  government,  and  produce  a  large 
annual  income.     The  mode  of  cultivating  the  above  tobacco 
by  the  natives  is  as  follows : — They  prepare  a  small  bed, 
sifting  the  earth  very  fine,  on  which  they  sow  the  seed,  and 
then  cover  it  with  plantain  leaves  for  some  days.     As  soon  as 
the  plants  make   their  appearance,   they   raise  the  leaves 
about  two  feet,  so  as  to  give  the  plants  free  air,  and  to  allow 
them   sooner   to   grow   strong.     When   they  become  large 
enough  to  transplant,  they  have  the  land  prepared ;  and  as 
soon  as  the  rainy  season  sets  in,  they  plant  out  their  young 
plants,  taking  great  care  to  protect  them  from  the  sun,  and 
to  keep  them  clean  as  they  grow  up,  as  well  as  to  prevent  the 
worms  from  destroying  or  eating  the  leaves.     When  the  leaf 
is  ripe,  it  gets  yellow  spots  on  it ;  and  on  bending  the  leaf  it 
cracks.     Then  it  is  fit  for  pulling  off",  which  is  done,  and 
the  leaves  are  neatly  packed  in  handsful,  placed  in  a  dry 
situation,  and  occasionally  shifted  from  one  place  to  another. 
When  the  le  ves  are  well  dried  they  are  all  packed  closely, 
and  well  covei'^d,  to  keep  the  flavor  in. 

"  The  leaf  is  leit  in  this  state  for  one  or  two  months,  and 
then  made  up  for  use.  They  never  top  their  tobacco,  and 
the  leaves  never  ripen  together.  The  mode  adopted  by  the 
North  Ameri',an  planters  is  somewhat  different ;  they  top 
their  plants  when  they  have  eight  full  leaves,  or  they  keep  it 


396  TOBACCO  OF  BRAZIL. 

suckered ;  and,  bj  this  means,  the  leaves  are  large  and  sappy. 
"  They  cut  off  the  stem  at  the  ground,  when  ripe,  and  hang 
it  on  laths  for  one  day  and  a  night,  with  the  leaves  all 
hanging  down ;  they  then  place  it  in  tlieir  barns  ;  and,  when 
these  are  quite  full,  they  smoke  it  for  some  days,  and  let  it 
remain  in  that  way  until  the  stem,  as  well  as  the  leaf,  is  quite 
dry  ;  they  then  put  it  in  a  heap,  and  cover  it  up  for  market. 
They  strip  off  the  leaves,  and  pack  them  in  hogsheads,  and  it 
is  received  in  London." 

SUMATRA  TOBACCO. 

Sumatra  tobacco  is  one  of  the  finest  varieties  cultivated, 
and  commands  in  European  markets  the  very  highest  prices. 
The  plant  is  a  vigorous  grower,  and  produces  large,  fine 
leaves  of  most  delicate  odor.  The  leaf  is  of  beautiful  appear- 
ance, of  almost  a  silky  texture,  and  in  color  a  rich  brown. 
It  is  extensively  used  in  the  manufacture  of  cigars,  and  on 
the  continent  it  frequently  realizes  as  much  as  6s.  per  pound 
for  this  purpose.     It  sells  in  London  for  from  3s.  Gd.  to  4s. 

per  pound. 

BRAZILIAN   TOBACCO. 

Brazil  tobacco  is  grown  chiefly  in  the  valley  of  San  Diego 
and  San  Francisco.  The  former  being  on  the  west  side  of 
the  Brazilian  mountains,  and  the  latter  on  the  east.  The 
San  Diego  is  the  finest,  and  the  following  analysis  of  the  San 
Diego  of  Brazil,  and  Vuelto  de  Abajo,  will  give  one  an  idea 
of  the  soil  of  these  famous  tobacco  lands : — 
VuELTA  DE  Abajo,  Cuba.  San  Diego,  Brazil. 


Organic  matter, 

PABT8. 

9.60 

PABTS, 

4.60 

Silica, 

86.40 

90.60 

Lime, 

.40 

Alumina, 

.68 

3.00 

Oxide  of  Iron, 

1.92 

1.20 

Loss  by  Evaporation, 

1.40 

.20 

100.00  100.00 

The  tobacco  of  Brazil  is  grown  in  the  same  manner  as  in 
other  parts  of  South  America.     The  planter  raises  two  crops 


THE  ORINOCO  TOBACCO. 


397 


a  year ;  curing  for  exportation  as  in  Cuba  or  Venezuela.  Tlfe 
plant  grows  to  the  height  of  about  six  feet,  bearing  leaves 
lanceolate  in  form,  about  thirty  inches  long,  and  from  eight 
to  twelve  inches  wide.  The  tobacco  fields  are  very  irregular. 
After  it  is  cut  it  is  placed  on  poles  in  the  field,  and  after- 
wards carried  to  the  drying  sheds.  It  is  gathered  in  the  dry 
season  in  September.  After  curing,  it  is  removed  to  the 
packing  house  and  baled  in  packages,  and  then  transported 
on  mules  to  the  coast  for  shipping.  A  large  portion  of  the 
crop  is  shipped  to  Portugal.  It  is  a  dark  maroon-colored 
leaf,  and  contains  a  large  proportion  of  the  nicotine  oil.  It 
is  a  high-flavored  tobacco,  and  on  this  account  is  used  for 
cigars  and  cutting. 

Burton  says  of  the  tobacco  of  Brazil : 

"  The  tobacco  of  the  Rio  de  Pomba,  especially  the  '  Fumo 
crespo,'  is  a  dark  strong  leaf,  well  fitted  for  making  '  Caven- 
dish '  or  '  Honey-dew ; '  the  weed  flourishes  throughout 
Minos  Gerals.  The  soil  will  be  much  improved  by  compost ; 
and  the  produce  by  being  treated  in  Virginia  style  delicately, 
dried  in  closed  barns  with  fires." 

YENEZUELAK  TOBACCO. 
The  Orinoco  tobacco  grows  from  four  to  five  feet  high, 
bearing  large  ovate 
leaves,  and  is  in  all 
respects  a  fine  qual- 
ity of  tobacco.  The 
plant  is  grown  dur- 
ing all  seasons  of 
the  year.  It  is 
used  chiefly  for 
cigars,  and  is  ship- 
ed  to  Northern  Eu- 
rope. It  is  packed 
in  carrottes,  and 
then  baled.  In  color 
it  is  dark  mahog- 


any,  and  of  good 
body  and  texture. 


ORINOCO   TOBACCO.       (tK.VEZCELa) 

The  leaf  is  about  eighteen  inches  long, 


398  PERSIAN  TOBACCO. 

and  about  ten  inches  wide.  The  planters  cure  by  air-drying 
in  sheds,  and  afterwards  it  is  tied  up  in  hands  and  baled  for 
export.  For  their  own  use,  they  have  adopted  the  method 
of  the  Brazilians,  sprinkling  the  leaf  with  water  containing 
the  juice  of  the  poppy. 

The  flavor  is  rich  and  mellow;  a  little  more  oily  than 
Havana  leaf.  It  is  used  for  the  manufacture  of  cigars. 
Orinoco  tobacco  makes  very  fine  flavored  cigars,  burning 
freely,  and  leaving  a  pearl-colored  ash ;  it  is  considered  by 
the  Venezuelans  to  be  much  better  than  any  variety  grown 
in  South  America.  In  cultivating  it  the  planters  use  no  fer- 
tilizers whatever,  taking  up  new  land  as  the  old  wears  out. 
The  crop  is  gathered  flrst  in  May,  and  then  in  September. 

PEKSIAN  TOBACCO. 

Shiraz  tobacco  is  a  native  of  Persia,  and  is  one  of  the  finest 

varieties   for  the  pipe  to  be  found   in 

the  East.     The  plant  differs  from  most 

varieties  in  the  color  of  the  flowers  and 

the  form  of  the  leaves.     It  is  not  adapted 

for  cigars  as  it  does  not  readily  ignite, 

and  this  variety  together  with  Manilla, 

are    known   as   non-burning    tobaccos. 

After  curing,  the  color  is  a  light  yellow, 

the  flavor  mild  and  not  unlike  Latakia 

and  Turkish  tobacco.     The  color  of  the 

flowers  like  those  of  Guatemala  tobacco, 
sHiKAz  TOBACCO,  PERSIA,   j^  ^j^-^^^  ^^^  ^^  ^^-^^^  rcspccts  nearly 

similar  to  other  kinds. 

AMERSFOOKT  TOBACCO.^ 
This  variety  of  tobacco  is  cultivated  quite  extensively  in 
Holland,  in  the  Veluwe  (valley  of  Guelderland).  The  plant  is 
of  good  size  and  averages  1.580  kilos  to  the  hectare.  The 
cultivation  is  very  carefully  conducted  on  the  richest  soil. 
The  leaf  is  very  fine  and  is  free  from  large  fibres,  fitting  it 
for  cigars.  Large  quantities  are  also  used  in  the  manufact- 
ure of  snuflp.    The  tobacco   plant  has  been  cultivated  in 


FRENCH  TOBACCO.  399 

Holland  since  its  first  introduction,  with  complete  success, 
producing  a  variety  for  snufi"  unrivaled  by  any  other  tobacco 
grown  in  Europe. 

In  color  Dutch  tobacco  is  both  dark  and  light ;  the  former 
being  used  for  snufi  and  the  latter  for  cigars  and  cheroots. 

ST.   OMER  TOBACCO. 

Tobacco  is  an  important  product  in  France,  and  affords 
the  government  an  immense  revenue.  In  the  north  of  France 
two  varieties  are  cultivated,  the  Brazilian  and  the  Mexican, 
but  the  tobacco  is  unlike  that  grown  in  those  countries. 
Most  of  the  tobacco  of  France  is  small  and  inferior  to  Havana 
and  Manilla.  In  the  South  of  France  tobacco  is  cultivated 
to  a  considerable  extent,  but  is  of  inferior  quality,  lacking 
the  rich  flavor  of  the  tobacco  of  Cuba.  The  cultivation  is 
permitted  only  in  certain  departments,  and  the  cultivators 
must  use  only  the  seed  supplied  to  them  by  the  officers  of 
the  regie.  This  is  selected  with  the  greatest  care,  the  kind 
and  quantity  depending  upon  the  nature  of  the  land,  the 
soil  being  carefully  analyzed,  and  cultivation  prohibited  in 
soils  which  do  not  possess  the  constituents  necessary  for  the 
growth  of  good  tobacco.  These  analyses  also  determine  the 
quantities  and  sorts  of  manure  required  to  bring  the  land 
into  fit  condition.  Most  of  the  seed  used  is  the  produce  of 
seed  imported  at  various  times  from  North  America  and 
Cuba. 

The  cultivation  is  most  carefully  watched,  and  the  statistics 
available  concerning  it  are  of  the  minutest  kind.  Not  only 
is  the  area  of  each  field  of  tobacco  accurately  measured,  but 
each  plant  is  noted  down,  and  even  each  leaf  on  each  plant 
is  accounted  for.  St.  Omer  is  used  chiefly  for  snuff,  some- 
times used  with  other  kinds  and  is  nmch  esteemed  by  the 
French  who  consider  it  among  the  best  of  tobaccos. 

HUNGARIAN  TOBACCO. 

This  variety  is  attracting  considerable  attention,  from  the 
fact  that  it  is  well  adapted  for  the  manufacture  of  cigars. 
Like  Connecticut  seed  leaf,  the  leaves  are  large  and  well 


400 


SPANISH  TOBACCO. 


Buited  for  cigar  wrappers.  A  considerable  portion  is  adapted 
for  other  uses,  and  it  is  in  some  respects  a  good  cutting 
tobacco.  When  in  fine  condition,  Hungarian  leaf  burns 
freely  and  leaves  a  clean,  light-colored  ash.  No  variety  of 
tobacco  grown  in  Europe  is  attracting  more  notice  than  this, 
and  if  good  leaf  tobacco  suitable  for  cigars  can  be  grown, 
American  tobacco  will  diminish  in  proportion.  Hungarian 
tobacco  is  a  favorite  with  the  Italians,  and  large  quantities 
are  sold  to  the  Italian  monopoly  to  be  used  both  for  cigars 
and  cutting. 

SPANISH  TOBACCO. 

For  several  years  the  growers  of  tobacco  in  the  Connecticut 
valley  have  directed  their  attention  towards  the  production 

of  a  tobacco  possess- 
%  ..4tM  ing  all  of  the  excel- 

lencies  of  both 
wrapper  and  filler; 
in  other  words,  if 
possible  securing  a 
leaf  of  light  color 
and  fine  texture  and 
good  flavor,  so  as  to 
combine  all  of  the 
desirable  features 
and  qualities  of 
tobacco  in  one  varie- 
ty. Some  few  years 
since  the  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture 
at  Washington  dis- 
tributed a  variety 
of  tobacco  seed 
among  the  Connecticut  tobacco  growers  known  by  the  name 
of  Spanish  tobacco. 

It  has  been  tested  by  many  of  the  largest  tobacco  growers 
in  Connecticut,  and  found  to  be  one  of  the  best  varieties  of 
the  plant  ever  cultivated  in  the  valley.     The  plant  grows  to 


SPANISH   TOBACCO. 


TURKISH  TOBACCO.  401 

the  height  of  eight  feet,  bearing  leaves  about  two  feet  in 
length  by  one  foot  in  width,  is  an  erect,  strong,  growing 
tobacco  with  a  small,  hard  stalk  and  stout,  long  roots.  The 
plant,  when  growing,  imparts  a  strong  aromatic  odor  not 
unlike  Havana  tobacco,  but  is  larger  everyway,  and  of  inferior 
flavor  for  cigars.  By  repeated  trials  its  superiority  has  been 
demonstrated  to  a  certainty,  while  the  profit  arising  from  its 
culture  proves  it  worthy  of  attention  from  all  cultivators  of 
tobacco. 

When  cured  the  leaf  is  very  fine  and  light  of  color,  the 
stem  and  veins  of  the  leaf  are  small,  thus  fitting  it  for  a  good 
wrapper  as  well  as  filler.  If  the  tobacco  growers  in  the 
Connecticut  valley  can  succeed  in  raising  this  variety,  they 
will  produce  a  leaf  tobacco  much  superior  to  the  common 
variety  known  as  seed  leaf.  Beyond  all  question  a  much 
finer  flavored  tobacco  than  Connecticut  seed  leaf  can  be 
grown,  and  still  retain  all  of  the  excellencies  of  the  latter, 
such  as  color,  texture,  and  size  of  leaf. 

TURKISH  TOBACCO. 

The  tobacco  of  Turkey  has  been  called  by  some  enthusiastic 
smoker  "  the  king  of  tobaccosj"  but  whether  it  possesses  this 
royal  preeminence  over  all  other  varieties  must  be  decided 
by  other  than  oui*selves.  That  it  is  a  fine  smoking  tobacco, 
no  one  can  doubt  that  ever  "  put  breath  "  to  the  favored  pipe 
that  contains  the  yellow  shreds,  but  we  should  prefer  by  far 
to  part  with  it  rather  than  with  its  great  rival,  Havana 
tobacco. 

The  plant  is  not  as  large  as  many  varieties,  but  grows  up 
Btrong  and  flourishes  well  on  account  of  the  care  and  attention 
given  it  by  the  Turk  and  his  family,  as  it  is  in  all  respects  a 
family  plant,  and  the  flower  garden  is  generally  the  tobacco 
field.  Turkey  tobacco  ranges  in  color  from  brown  to  light 
yellow,  the  latter  being  the  most  in  demand.  This  variety 
is  similar  in  flavor  to  Latakia  and  Shiraz,  and  these  three 
tobaccos,  Persian,  Syrian,  and  Turkish,  are  considered  the  finest 
and  best  adapted  of  all  tobaccos  for  the  pipe.  The  work  of 
20 


402 


JAPANESE  TOBACCO. 


cultivating  a  field  of  Turkish  tobacco  is  very  tedious,  as  large 
quantities  of  water  have  to  be  carried  to  sprinkle  upon  the 
plants.  The  finest  colored,  a  pale  yellow  leaf,  brings 
"  inflated "  prices,  but  more  often  by  others  than  the  poor 
Turk  who  grows  it. 

JAPAN  TOBACCO. 

Of  the  tobacco  of  Asia,  the  best  known  in  Europe  is  the 

yellow  leaf  grown  in  Japan. 
In  those  provinces  where  a 
high  degree  of  temperature 
prevails,  the  plant  lives 
throughout  the  winter,  but  it 
is  nevertheless  customary  to 
sow  fresh  seed  in  the  early 
spring  of  each  successive  year. 
When  fully  grown,  Japan 
tobacco  attains  an  altitude  of 
about  six  feet,  bearing  leaves 
long  and  pointed,  completely 
enveloping  the  stalk.  The 
leaves,  however,  difier  in  form 
in  different  provinces,  some 
being  round  and  wide,  others  narrow  and  pointed,  and  others 
thick  and  long. 

The  mode  of  cultivating  also  varies  in  the  different  prov- 
inces. The  sowing  and  transplanting  are  dependent  on  the 
temperature  of  the  locality,  and  each  place  follows  its  own 
customs.  In  autumn  a  great  number  of  flowers  spring  from 
the  tip  of  the  stalk.  These  are  about  an  inch  in  length,  and 
of  a  pale  purple  tint.  To  these  succeed  small  round  capsules, 
inside  of  which  are  three  small  chambers  containing  a  great 
number  of  light  red  seeds.  The  method  of  cultivation  is  novel, 
the  manuring  of  tobacco  differing  from  that  of  other  plants 
in  that  it  is  plentifully  applied  both  to  the  roots  and  leaves. 

GUATEMALA  TOBACCO. 
The  tobacco  of  Central  America,  though  possessing  consid- 
erable excellence,  has  never  become  an  important  product, 


JAPAN  TOBACCO. 


MANILLA  TOBACCO.  403 

nor  to  any  great  extent  an  article  of  commerce.  There  are 
several  varieties  grown  in  Guatemala,  Honduras,  Nicaragua, 
and  the  other  Central  American  states;  some  of  which  by 
proper  cultivation  might  be  valuable  to  both  the  user  and  the 
manufacturer.  One  variety  bears  white  flowers  like  the  tobacco 
of  Persia,  but  in  other  respects  it  differs  but  little  from  South 
American  varieties.  Numerous  other  sorts  occur,  many  of 
which  are  local,  and  differ  principally,  if  not  solely,  in  the 
size  or  form  of  the  leaves. 

The  soil  of  Guatemala  is  well  adapted  for  tobacco,  and 
with  careful  cultivation  it  could  hardly  fail  of  becoming  an 
important  agricultural  product.  It  is  also  probable  that  the 
soil  of  nearly  all  of  Central  America  is  adapted  to  the  plant, 
and  with  the  favorable  climate,  the  varieties  now  grown 
would  doubtless  with  proper  care,  become  noted  as  tobacco 
well  adapted  for  cigars. 

MANILLA  TOBACCO. 

This  Variety  is  one  of  the  most  celebrated  grown  in  the 
East.  *  It  is  used  exclusively  for  the  manufacture  of  cigars 
and  cheroots,  and  supplies  India  and  Spain  with  a  vast  quan- 
tity of  the  manufactured  article.  The  plant  is  a  strong, 
vigorous  grower,  bearing  dark  green  leaves ;  coming  forward 
rapidly  under  the  careful  culture  bestowed  upon  the  plants,  f 
After  curing,  the  leaves  show  a  variety  of  colors  ranging 
from  dark  brown  to  light  yellow  or  straw  color.  The  leaf 
when  cured,  has  a  peculiar  appearance  unlike  that  of  any 
other  tobacco.  It  is  of  good  body  but  smooth,  and  has  the 
appearance  of  tobacco  that  has  been  '  frost-bitten.'  The  leaf 
is  not  as  porous  as  most  other  tobaccos,  and  therefore  does 
not  as  readily  ignite,  and  frequently  *  chars'  in  burning — 
thus  giving  it  the  name  of  a  non-burning  tobacco. 

The  plants  are  '  set '  wide  apart,  and  during  the  first  two 

•Blanco  thn»  describes  the  tobacco  of  the  Philippines:  "  It  Is  an  annual,  prowlnfr  to  the 
height  of  a  fathom,  and  furnishes  the  tobacco  for  the  extatico-i  (licensed  shops).  General 
opinion  prefers  the  tobacco  of  Uapan,  but  that  of  the  Pasy  districts,  LaglaK  and  Lambunao, 
In  Iloilo,  of  Maaslaor  Leyte.is  appreciated  for  its  fine  aroma;  also  that  of  CaRayau,  after 
being  kept  for  some  years,— for  this  use  lilje  the  tobacco  of  the  island  of  Negros  It  Durn»  the 
mouth." 

t  The  seedlings  are  planted  in  January,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  crop  comes  forward  In 
May  and  June. 


404  MANILLA  TOBACCO. 

months  are  carefully  cultivated,  when  the  top  is  broken  off 
and  the  leaves  allowed  to  ripen.  In  some  respects,  Manilla 
tobacco  is  one  of  the  best  varieties  of  the  plant  cultivated, 
and  were  it  not  for  its  non-burning  quality,  it  would  have 
but  few  rivals  among  cigar  tobaccos. "  We  have  thus,  at 
8ome  length,  described  nearly  half  of  the  varieties  of  tobacco 
now  being  cultivated.  There  are,  however,  others  as  well 
known  and  of  equal  value  and  favor.  Some  of  these  are  of 
superior  quality  and  of  world-wide  repute.  Of  those  described, 
the  varieties  grown  in  the  tropics  are  the  most  celebrated  and 
of  the  finest  flavor.  As  when  first  discovered,  the  tobaccos  of 
the  tropics  command  the  highest  prices,  and  possess  qual- 
ities not  easily  transmitted  when  grown  in  a  temperate  clime. 

•  "  The  soil  of  many  of  the  islands  especially  of  the  Bisa^as  Is  favorable  to  the  growth  of 
tobacco.   The  island  of  Negros  formerly  produced  some  of  very  good  quality." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

TOBACCO    HOUSES. 

HE  drying  houses  or  sheds  for  the  curing  and 
storing  of  tobacco  are  among  the  most  interesting 
objects  to  be  seen  on  the  tobacco  plantation.  These 
sheds  vary  in  size  from  a  small  structure  capable  of 
holding  only  a  few  thousand  plants  to  the  immense  sheds 
with  sufficient  capacity  for  hanging  the  products  of  several 
acres.  In  the  Connecticut  valley,  the  Southern  States,  at  the 
West,  and  in  the  Philippine  Islands  these  tobacco  sheds  are 
often  several  hundred  feet  in  length,  built  in  the  most  substan- 
tial manner  and  provided  with  suitable  side  doors  and  venti- 
lators for  the  free  passage  of  air,  and  the  most  perfect  system 
of  v^entilation.  The  most  substantial  and  finest  tobacco  sheds 
are  to  be  found  in  the  Connecticut  valley,  which  are  provided 
with  every  convenience  for  hanging  and  taking  down  or 
"  striking  "  tlie  crop.  Many  of  them  are  painted  and  adorned 
with  a  cupola,  which  serves  the  double  purpose  of  an  orna- 
ment and  a  ventilator  for  the  hot  air  to  pass  off  from  the 
curing  and  heated  plants.  Formerly,  the  tobacco  being  har- 
vested was  hung  in  barns  and  sheds,  used  for  storing  grain 
and  hay,  and  better  adapted  to  other  purposes  tlian  to  that 
of  a  tobacco  shed,  where  thorough  ventilation  is  necessary  to 
avoid  sweat  and  pole-rot,  attending  upon  the  curing  of  the 
plants.  Of  late,  tobacco  growers,  throughout  the  world,  have 
paid  considerable  attention  to  the  method  of  curing,  and  to 
erecting  more  suitable  buildings  for  the  purpose.  At  the 
South  and  West,  the  log  tobacco  barns  are  giving  way  to  the 
more  substantial  frame  buildings,  and  better  facilities  are 

405 


406 


TOBACCO  SHEDS. 


employed  for  "firing"  the  tobacco  in  the  sheds.  Formerly, 
the  tobacco  sheds  at  tha  South  looked  more  like  the  rude 
huts  of  the  herders  on  the  pampas  of  South  America,  than 
buildings  devoted  to  the  curing  of  tobacco.     Tobacco  barns 


'^•-^ir. 


OLD   CONNKCTICDT    TOBACCO    SHED. 


and  sheds  are  built  of  a  great  variety  of  material,  and  in 
various  ways,  according  to  the  manner  of  building  where  the 
tobacco  is  grown.  Thus  in  the  Connecticut  valley,  such 
sheds  or  bams  are  large  and  commodious  frame  buildings ; 
at  the  South  and  "West,  many  of  them  are  built  of  logs ;  in 
Cuba,  of  slabs  covered  with  palm  leaves  or  thatched.  In 
Turkey,  of  stones  covered  with  rough  boards,  and  daubed 
with  mud. 

In  selecting  a  site  for  the  tobacco  shed,  not  only  should  its 
proximity  to  the  tobacco  field  be  considered^  but  also  the 
ground  on  which  it  is  to  be  built.  It  should  always  be 
erected  on  dry  ground,  rather  than  upon  moist,  so  that 
no  dampness  may  arise  and  injure  the  leaves  in  curing.  The 
tobacco  shed  should  also  be  built  on  an  elevated  spot,  bo  that 
a  free  circulation  of  air  may  be  had,  which  is  hardly  possible 
if  built  on  low  ground  or  among  trees  or  in  the  woods  as  at 
the  South.     This  applies  more  particularly  to  sheds  where 


IMPROVEMENTS. 


407 


the  method  of  curing  is  by  air-drying  instead  of  by  "  firing  " 
or  by  "  flues."  In  New  England  the  strongest  timber,  as  oak, 
is  used  for  building,  as  the  weight  of  the  plants  before  fully 
cured  is  immense.  The  shed  is  braced  at  every  point  and 
generally  rests  upon  stone  posts  so  as  to  allow  a  good  circula- 
tion underneath  the  building.  Poles  are  used  for  hanging, 
either  round  or  sawed,  when  the  plants  are  hung  with 
twine;  when  hung  on  tobacco  hooks,  laths  are  used,  the 
hooks  attached  to  the  lath ;  more  frequently  the  plants  are 
strung  upon  the  laths  without  the  aid  of  hooks,  the  lath 


MODERN    CONNECTICUT  TOBACCO   SHED. 


passing  through  the  center  of  the  stalk  an  inch  or  two 
from  the  end.  The  doors  lengthwise  of  the  building 
are  simply  the  outside  boards  hung  on  hinges,  every  second 
or  third  being  chosen  according  to  the  ideas  of  curing  enter- 
tained by  the  grower.  Some  planters  are  of  the  opinion 
that  the  plants  need  all  the  air  that  can  be  obtained,  and 
keep  the  sheds  open  during  both  day  and  night,  while  others 
open  the  doors  only  now  and  then — closing  during  warm 
days,  and  during  a  storm.  Sometimes  the  doors  are  hung  on 
hinges  at  the  top — opening  but  partially  and  not  allowing  as 
free  circulation  as  when  hung  on  the  sides. 

Another  building  of  late  has  been  built  by  the  growers  in 
the  Connecticut  valley,  called  a  stripping  house.  This  build- 
ing is  frequently  attached  to  the  shed  or  near  by  so  that 
stripping  may  be  performed  during  all  kinds  of  weather, 


408 


STRIPPING  HOUSES. 


without  danger  of  injuring  the  tobacco,  or  the  health  of  the 
stripper.  Such  buildings  however  are  needed  onlj  in  tobacco 
sections  where  the  cold  is  extreme  during  the  winter,  when 
most  of  the  tobacco  is  to  be  stripped.  The  stripping  room 
or  house  is  provided  with  a  stove,  a  long  table,  or  elevated 
platform,  in  front  of  the  windows,  of  which  there  should 


STRIPPING   ROOM. 


be  several  to  admit  plenty  of  light,  and  a  number  of 
chairs  to  accommodate  the  strippers.  On  the  stove  a 
kettle  of  water  is  kept  constantly  boiling  or  heated,  the 
ascending  steam  of  which  keeps  the  leaves  of  tobacco  from 
drying  and  consequently  from  cracking  or  breaking.  When 
in  condition  for  "  striking "  or  taking  down,  the  plants  are 
carried  to  the  stripping-room,  and  covered  with  boards 
and  blankets,  when  the  operation  called  stripping  com- 
mences. Many  of  the  stripping-rooms  are  built  large  enough 
to  contain  the  cases  after  the  tobacco  is  packed,,  thus  answer- 
ing a  double  purpose. 

In  Virginia  and  the  other  tobacco-growing  states  of  the 
South,  the  tobacco  barn  is  built  altogether  different,  as  the 
method  of  curing  is  by  fires  or  flues  instead  of  air  curing. 
The  height  of  tlie  building  is  usually  twice  its  width  and 
length.  In  the  center  of  the  smooth  earthen  floor,  is  the 
trench   for  "  firing,"  while  around  the  sides  of  the  building 


VIRGINIA  TOBACCO  SHEDS. 


409 


runs  an  elevated  platform  for  placing  the  tobacco  leaves  in 
bulk ;  and,  commencing  at  a  safe  distance  from  the  trench, 
up  to  the  top  of  the  building,  reach  beams  stretching  across 
for  the  reception  of  the  pine  laths,  from  which  are  suspended 
the  tobacco  plants.  Many  of  the  tobacco  sheds  at  the  South? 
are  built  like  those  of  New  England,  but  many  lag  structures 
are  still  to  be  seen  and 
many  planters  prefer  them 
to  those  made  like  other 
frame  buildings.  The  old 
Virginia  planters  of  a 
himdred  years  ago,  built 
rough  log  sheds  for  hous- 
ing the  plants,  which 
afforded  little  protection 
from  wind  and  rain,  which, 
in    consequence,    injured 

much  of  the  tobacco  hang-  modern  v.rginia  shed 

ing   around   the   sides   of 

the  building.  Tatham  gives  the  following  description  of 
the  "  Tobacco  house  and  its  variety  "  in  his  work  on  tobacco. 
"  The  barn  which  is  appropriated  to  the  use  of  receiving 
and  curing  this  crop,  is  not,  in  the  manner  of  other  barns, 
connected  with  the  farm  yard,  so  that  the  whole  occupation 
may  be  rendered  snug  and  compact,  and  occasion  little  waste 
of  time  by  inconsiderate  and  useless  locomotion  ;  but  it  is 
constructed  to  suit  the  particular  occasion  in  point  of  size, 
and  is  generally  erected  in,  or  by  the  side  of,  each  respective 
piece  of  tobacco  ground  ;  or  sometimes  in  the  woods,  upon 
some  hill  or  particular  site  which  may  be  convenient  to  more 
than  one  field  of  tobacco.  The  sizes  which  are  most  generally 
built  where  this  kind  of  culture  prevails,  are  what  are  called 
forty-feet,  and  sixty -feet  tobacco  houses ;  that  is,  of  these 
lengths  respectively,  and  of  a  proportionate  width  ;  and  the 
plate  of  the  wall,  or  part  whicli  supports  the  eaves  of  the 
roof,  is  generally  elevated  from  the  groundsel  about  the 
pitch  of  twelve  feet.  About  twelve  feet  pitch  is  indeed  a 
good  height  for  the  larger  crops ;  because  this  will  allow  four 
pitch  each  to  three  successive  tiers  of  tobacco,  besides  those 
which  are  hung  in  the  roof ;  and  this  distance  admits  a  free 


410 


ORDINARY  SHEDS. 


circulation  of  air,  and  is  a  good  space  apart  for  the  process  of 
curing  the  plant.  There  are  various  methods  in  use  in  respect 
to  the  construction  of  tobacco  houses,  and  various  materials 
of  which  they  are  constructed  ;  but  such  are  generally  found 
uppn  the  premises  as  suffice  for  the  occasion.  And  although 
these  sizes  are  most  prevalent,  yet  tobacco  houses  are  in 
many  instances  built  larger  or  smaller  according  to  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  proprietor,  or  the  size  of  the  spot  of  ground 
nnder  cultivation. 

"The  most  ordinary  kinds  consist  of  two  square  pens 

built  out  of  logs  of  six  or 
eight  inches  thick,  and 
from  sixteen  to  twenty  feet 
long.  Out  of  this  material 
the  two  pens  are  formed 
by  notching  the  logs  near 
their  extremities  with  an 
axe;  so  that  they  are  al- 
ternately fitted  one  upon 
another,  until  they  rise  to 
a  competent  height ;  taking 
care  to  fit  joists  in  at  the 
respective  tiers  of  four 
feet  space,  so  that  scaffolds 
may  be  formed  by  them 
similar  to  those  heretofore 
described  to  have  been  erected  in  the  open  field,  for  the 
purpose  of  hanging  the  sticks  of  tobacco  upon,  that  they 
may  be  open  to  a  free  circulation  of  air  during  this  stage  of 
the  process.  These  pens  are  placed  on  a  line  with  each 
other,  at  the  opposite  extremes  of  an  oblong  square,  formed 
of  such  a  length  as  to  admit  of  a  space  between  the  two  pens 
wide  enough  for  the  reception  of  a  cart  or  wagon.  This 
space,  together  with  the  two  pens,  is  covered  over  with  one 
and  the  same  roof,  the  frame  of  which  is  formed  in  the  same 
way  as  the  walls  by  notching  the  logs  aforesaid,  and  narrow- 
ing up  the  gable  ends  to  a  point  at  the  upper  extremity  of 
the  house,  termed  the  ridge  pole.  The  remaining  part  of  the 
fabric  consists  of  a  rough  cover  of  thin  slabs  of  wood,  split 
first  with  a  mall  and  wedges,  and  afterwards  riven  with  an 
instrument  or  tool  termed  a  froe.  The  only  thing  which 
then  remains  to  be  done,  is  to  cut  a  door  into  each  of  the 
pens,  which  is  done  by  putting  blocks  or  wedges  in  betwixt 
the  logs  which  are  to  be  cut  out,  and  securing  the  jambs 


VlIKilMA    SLIKl)    150    YEARS    AGO. 


SUPERIOR  SHEDS.  411 

with  side  pieces  pinned  on  with  an  auger  and  wooden  pins. 
The  roof  is  secured  by  weighing  it  down  with  logs  ;  so  that 
neither  hammer,  nails,  bricK,  or  stone,  is  concerned  in  the 
structure ;  and  locks  and  keys  are  very  rarely  deemed 
necessary. 

"  The  second  kind  of  tobacco  houses  differ  somewhat  from 
these,  with  a  view  to  longer  duration.  The  logs  are  to  this 
end  more  choicely  selected.  The  foundation  consists  of  four 
well  hewn  groundsels,  of  about  eight  by  ten  inches,  leveled 
and  laid  upon  cross  sawed  blocks  of  a  larger  tree,  or  upon 
large  stones.  The  corners  are  truly  measured,  and  squared 
diamond-wise,  by  which  means  they  are  more  nicely  notched 
in  upon  each  other ;  the  roof  is  fitted  with  rafters,  footed 
upon  wall  plates,  and  covered  with  clap-boards  nailed  upon 
the  rafters  in  the  manner  of  slating.  In  all  other  respects 
this  is  the  same  with  the  last  mentioned  method ;  and  both 
are  left  open  for  the  passage  of  the  air  between  the  logs. 

"  The  third  kind  is  laid  upon  a  foundation  similar  to  the 
second ;  but  instead  of  logs,  the  walls  are  composed  of 
posts  and  studs,  tenoned  into  the  sells,  and  braced ;  the  top 
of  these  are  mounted  with  a  wall-plate  and  joists ;  upon  these 
come  the  rafters ;  and  the  whole  is  covered  with  clap-boards 
and  nails,  so  as  to  form  one  uninterrupted  oblong  square, 
with  doors,  etc.,  termed,  as  heretofore,  a  forty,  sixty,  or  one 
hundred  feet  tobacco  house,  etc. 

"  The  fourth  species  of  these  differs  from  the  third  only  in 
the  covering,  which  is  generally  of  good  sawed  feather-edged 
plank ;  in  the  roof,  which  is  now  composed  of  shingles ;  and 
in  the  doors  and  finishing,  which  consist  of  good  sawed  plank, 
hinged,  &c.  Sometimes  this  kind  are  underpinned  with  a 
brick  or  stone  wall  beneath  the  groundsels ;  but  they  have  no 
floors  or  windows,  except  a  plank  or  two  along  the  sides  to 
raise  upon  hinges  for  sake  of  air,  and  occasional  light :  indeed, 
if  these  were  constructed  with  sides  similar  to  the  brewery 
tops  in  London,  I  think  it  would  be  found  advantageous.  In 
respect  to  the  inside  framing  of  a  tobacco  house,  one  descrip- 
tion may  serve  for  every  kind :  they  are  so  contrived  as  to 
admit  poles  in  the  nature  of  a  scaffold  through  every  part  of 
them,  ranging  four  feet  from  centre  to  centre,  which  is  the 
length  of  the  tobacco  stick,  as  heretofore  described ;  and  the 
lower  ties  should  be  so  contrived  as  to  remove  away  occasion- 
ally, in  order  to  pursue  other  employments  at  different  stages 
in  the  process  of  curing  the  crop." 

In  Ohio,  the  tobacco  barns  are  built  in  a  manner  similar  to 


412 


OHIO  SHEDS. 


those  in  Virginia;  constructed  of  logs  and  provided  with 
trenches  for  fires  in  curing  the  tobacco.  The  tobacco  sheds 
for  hanging  the  tobacco  cured  by  air-drying,  are  built  of  the 
same  material  without  trenches,  as  smoke  is  not  employed  in 
curing  "seed-leaf"  tobacco.  The  sheds  for  both  kinds  of 
curing  tobacco  are  large  structures,  varying  in  size  according 
to  the  area  of  tobacco  planted.  Sometimes  the  sheds  are 
built  near  the  woods  where  fuel  can  be  procured,  and  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  tobacco  field.  The  tobacco  houses 
are  built  in  the  strongest  manner  and  of  the  most  durable 
material,  and  are  well  fitted  for  the  purpose  designed.  In 
the  counties  bordering  the  Ohio  River,  where  a  large  quan- 
tity of  tobacco  is  raised,  the  tobacco  sheds  are  to  be  seen  on 
every  hand,  the  smoke  issuing  from  the  sides  of  the  building, 
giving  a  stranger  the  idea  of  a  burning  building  rather  than 
(    ^  ^  the  curing  of  a  great 

staple. 

The  following  ac- 
count of  constructing 
tobacco  barns  in  Mis- 
souri, is  from  a  St. 
Louis  paper: 

"We    believe 
small    barns   for 
kind    of     curing, 
house    built     16 
OHIO  TOBACCO  SHED.  iusido  aud  divided  into 

four  rooms  and  six  tier 
high  in  the  body  is  the  preferable  size  for  flue  or  coal  curing. 
For  flues  they  should  be  built  on  a  very  slightly  sloping 
place  ;  just  enough  to  make  the  flues  draw  well.  Flues  four 
inches  lower  at  the  eye  than  the  chimney  will  be  slope 
enough.  The  door  should  always  be  between  the  flues  and 
in  the  end  of  the  house,  to  prevent  the  drip  from  falling 
before  the  door  and  the  eye  of  the  flues.  Tlie  tiers  should 
begin  eight  feet  above  the  ground  and  be  placed  two  feet 
above  each  other  to  the  top.  They  should  be  placed  across 
the  house  so  that  the  roof  tier  can  conveniently  be  placed 
above  them.  The  door,  three  feet  wide  and  six  feet  high, 
furnished  with  a  good,  close  shutter.     A  barn  of  this  size  will 


in 
any 

A 
feet 


KENTUCKY  AND  TENNESSEE  SHEDS.  413 

cure  800  sticks  of  common  size  tobacco,  which  will  weigh 
about  1200  lbs.  The  proper  construction  of  flues  is  of  great 
importance ;  they  should  be  built  of  any  stone  that  will  stand 
lire  without  bursting.  White  sand-stone,  bastard  soap-stone, 
or  any  other  that  does  not  contain  flint.  The  size  of  a  flue 
for  a  sixteen  foot  barn,  is  generally  about  12  inches  wide  by 
14:  inches  high  inside.  Not  much  care  need  be  taken  to  have 
them  smooth  on  the  outside.  If  stone  can  be  had  to  make 
the  inside  smooth  so  as  not  to  obstruct  the  putting  on  of 
wood,  it  is  all  that  is  necessary.  They  should  be  run  just  far 
enough  from  the  house-side  not  to  set  ihe  house  on  lire,  and 
there  is  not  as  much  danger  of  this  as  may  be  supposed. 
Run  the  walls  of  the  house-side  all  around,  running  the  stem 
out  at  the  middle  of  the  upper  side.  The  stem  should  be  run 
far  enough  above  the  wall  of  the  house  to  avoid  danger  of 
sparks  from  the  chimney.  The  height  of  the  inside  of  the 
flue  should  be  preserved  its  whole  length.  The  width  may 
be  slightly  decreased  from  the  elbow  to  the  chimney.  The 
inner  wall  is  carried  all  around.  But  too  much  explanation 
bewilders  ;  we  think  we  have  said  enough.  As  before  said, 
we  like  small  barns;  where  too  much  tobacco  is  together,  it 
all  can  not  receive  the  heat  alike,  which  is  our  main  objection 
to  large  barns.  As  to  the  number  of  barns  necessary,  we 
would  say  that  there  ought  to  be  enough  to  receive  all  the 
crop  without  moving  any.  Say  one  sixteen-foot  barn  to  every 
8,000  hills  of  tobacco  planted.  As  a  general  rule,  plant  one 
thousand  hills  for  every  hundred  sticks  house-room.  That  is, 
if  you  have  three  barns  plant  2'1,000  hills,  and  if  it  is  common 
tobacco,  they  will  receive  it.  A  much  larger  quantity  may 
be  saved  in  this  number  of  barns  by  curing  and  moving  out, 
but  it  is  very  troublesome." 

In  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  the  tobacco  barns  resemble 
those  of  Ohio  and  the  other  Western  states,  and  are  large, 
commodious  structures,  provided  with  every  facility  for 
curing  the  plants.  In  other  tobacco-growing  countries  the 
tobacco  barns  and  sheds  diflfer  hut  little  from  those  in  Amer- 
ica, the  only  difference  being  in  form  and  building  material. 
In  countries  where  tobacco  is  a  government  monopoly,  large 
and  comfortable  buildings  are  provided  for  the  crop  with  all 
the  necessary  accessories  for  the  curing,  packing,  and  storing 
of  the  tobacco.  In  South  America  many  of  the  sheds  are  large 
and  low,  built  on  the  plantation,  and  close  to  the  tobacco 


414 


FOREIGN  TOBACCO  SHEDS. 


field.  In  Cuba,  the  curing  houses  are  located  on  the  vegas, 
and  as  soon  as  the  tobacco  is  cut  it  is  placed  on  the  poles  to 
dry  or  cure.  In  Asia,  a  large  quantity  of  the  tobacco  is  cured, 
in  the  peasants'  huts,  where  the  smoke  is  said  to  impart 
additional  flavor  to  the  already  fragrant  leaves.  In  the  Phil- 
ippines the  largest  tobacco  sheds  are  found,  described  by 
Gironiere  as  "  vast  sheds,"  and  of  sufficient  capacity  to  hold 
acres  of  the  leaves.  In  Persia,  where  the  celebrated  Shiraz 
tobacco  is  grown,  the  sheds  are  simply  covered  buildings 
without  any  boards  on  the  sides,  the  only  protection  afforded 
from  the  weather  being  supplied  by  light,  thorny  bushes,  so 
that  the  plants  may  be  exposed  to  the  wind.  After  fully  cur- 
ing, the  tobacco  is  removed  to  another  drying-house  and  turned 
every    day.     The   drying-houses    in   other   tobacco-growing 

countries  differ  but  little 
from  those  described,  while 
the  manner  of  curing  is 
similar,  the  plants  being 
"fired,"  sun-cured,  or  air- 
dried — the  three  modes 
now  employed  in  drying 
the  leaves.  If  the  tobacco 
of  the  tropics  is  fragrant 
while  growing,  it  is  doubly 
so  after  being  harvested 
and  carried  to  the  sheds. 
The  odor  from  the  well- 
filled  barns  is  borne  on  the  breeze  alike  to  friend  and  foe  of 
the  plant.  As  the  process  of  drying  goes  on,  the  plants 
gradually  lose  the  strong  perfume  emitted  during  the  earlier 
stages  of  curing,  and  by  the  time  the  leaves  are  "  cured  down  " 
and  the  sheds  closed,  but  little  odor  issues  from  the  plants, 
and  this  continues  to  be  the  case  until  the  leaves  are  entirely 
dried. 


PERSIAN  TOBACCO   SHEB. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

TOBACCO   CULTURE. 

OBACCO  at  the  present  time  is  one  of  the  great 
products  of  the  world.  As  an  article  of  agriculture 
and  of  commerce,  it  holds  an  important  place  among 
the  great  staples,  while  as  a  luxury,  its  use  has 
become  as  extensive  as  its  culture.  The  tobacco  plant  is  now  > 
cultivated  in  nearly  all  parts  of  the  world  with  varying  sue/ 
cess,  according  to  the  system  of  cultivation  adopted  by  its 
growers.  Primarily  cultivated  by  the  aborigines  of  America 
in  the  rude  manner  common  to  uncivilized  races,  the  plant 
has,  by  numerous  experiments  and  careful  culture,  become 
one  of  the  greatest  of  agricultural  products. -.JWlien-ficst 
discovered  bx-  tlie  Spanish  and  Portuguese,  the  plant -war 
smairfand  in  flavor  "  poor  and  weak  and  of  a  byting  taste." 
As  soon,  however,  as  the  Spaniards  began  its  cultivation  in 
the  islands  of  St.  Domingo  and  Trinidad,  attention  was  paid 
to  developing  it,  and  in  a  few  years  the  description  we  find 
of  the  latter  variety  is  that  it  is  "large,  sharp,  and  growing 
two  or  three  yards  from  the  ground." 

At  the  close  of  the  sixteenth  century  the  Portuguese  began 
its  cultivation  in  Portugal,  the  soil  of  which  seemed  well 
adapted  to  the  plant,  and  still  further  increased  the  size  and 
quality  of  the  leaf.  Tobacco  is  now  cultivated  through  a 
wider  range  of  temperature  than  any  other  tropical  plant, 
and  whether  grown  amid  the  sands  of  Arabia,  the  plains  of 
South  America,  or  in  the  rich  valley  of  the  Connecticut, 
develops  its  finest  form  and  perfection  of  leaf.  During  the 
last  half-century  the  plant  has  been  developed  to  a  greater 

415 


416  TOBACCO  CULTURE. 

extent  than  during  tlie  three  hundred  years  succeeding  its 
discovery.  Now  its  cultivation  has  been  reduced  to  almost 
an  exact  science,  and  the  quality  of  the  leaf  is  in  a  great 
measure  within  the  control  of  the  growers  of  the  plant. 

Formerly  it  was  supposed  that  the  varieties  that  grew  in 
the  tropics  could  not  be  successfully  cultivated  in  the  tem- 
perate regions,  but  recent  and  repeated  experiments  have 
demonstrated  the  fact  that  the  tobacco  of  Cuba  can  be  grown 
with  success  in  the  Connecticut  valley.  While  the  tobacco 
of  the  tropics  is  the  finest  in  flavor,  the  more  temperate 
regions  produce  the  finest  and  best  colored  leaf.  The  tobacco 
of  the  tropics,  as  to  the  uses  to  which  it  is  put,  is  limited, 
while  the  tobacco  of  the  more  temperate  regions  can  be  used 
for  all  the  purposes  for  which  the  plant  is  designed. 

The  cultivation  of  the  plant  varies  with  the  variety,  the 
soil,  and  the  use  to  be  made  of  the  leaf.  Thus  a  tobacco 
designed  for  cutting  purposes  is  cultivated  somewhat  differ- 
ently from  that  designed  for  the  manufacture  of  snuft'  or 
cigars.  In  the  one  case  the  plant  is  allowed  to  remain  grow- 
ing longer  in  the  field,  while  in  the  other  the  work  of  topping 
the  plants  is  performed  at  an  earlier  stage  of  their  growth. 
Primarily  but  little  attention  was  paid  to  the  color  and 
texture  of  the  leaf,  the  principal  object  being  the  production 
of  a  leaf  of  large  size,  rather  than  one  of  good  color,  and  of  a 
silky  texture.  Now,  however,  these  are  most  important  con- 
siderations, and  give  value  to  the  tobacco  in  proportion  to 
the  perfection  of  these  qualities. 

The  soil,  too,  is  carefully  chosen  and  fitted  in  the  most 
thorough  manner,  while  the  fertilizers  used  are  selected  with 
reference  to  the  color  of  leaf  desired.  When  first  cultivated 
in  the  United  States  it  was  thought  that  tobacco  designed 
for  various  uses  could  not  be  grown  in  the  same  state  or 
section ;  now,  however,  tobacco  for  cigars  and  for  cutting  are 
grown  nearly  side  by  side.  But  in  the  fineness  of  the  leaf, 
tobacco  culture  has  made  its  greatest  stride.  By  a  careful 
selection  of  soil,  and  by  the  judicious  application  of  proper 
fertilizers,  the    leaf    tobaccos    of    Connecticut,   Cuba,   and 


TOBACCO  CULTURE.  417 

Virginia,  resemble  in  texture  the  finest  satins  and  silks.  This 
result  has  been  reached,  not  by  the  sacrifice  of  the  strength 
of  the  leaf,  but  by  the  most  careful  culture  and  improved 
methods  of  curing. 

The  first  labor  to  be  performed  in  connection  with  the 
growth  of  a  crop  of  tobacco,  is  the  selection  of  a  site  for,  and 
the  making  of,  the  "  plant  bed  "  or  "  plant  patch."  These 
beds  for  the  early  growth  of  the  plants  until  large  enough  to 
transplant,  are  made  in  various  ways  and  at  difierent  times, 
according  to  the  method  of  tilling  adopted  and  the  climate. 
In  California  the  tobacco  bed  is  made  in  January,  in  the 
Southern  States,  Syria,  Turkey,  and  Holland,  in  March.  In 
New  England  in  April.  In  Mexico  and  Java  in  June,  and 
in  Persia  in  December.  In  the  Connecticut  valley  the 
manner  of  making  the 

PLANT  BED, 

as  given  by  a  Massachusetts  tobacco-grower,  is  as  follows  : — 
"No  rigid  rules  can  be  given  for  any  process  in  tobacco 
culture,  which  depends  much  upon  weather  and  season,  but 
certain  advantages  may  be  obtained  by  skillful  adaptation  of 
general  principles  to  circumstances.  Tliis  is  especially  true 
of  raising  tobacco  plants,  which  occupy  an  extremely  slight 
depth  of  ground  for  weeks  after  sowing,  making  it  necessary 
to  prepare  the  whole  soil  with  reference  to  the  state  of  this 
thin  surface.  Any  slight  mistake  of  treatment  may  make  in 
the  end  a  difference  of  several  days ;  consequently  each  item 
is  of  importance.  While  every  tobacco-raiser  wants  early 
plants,  and  appreciates  the  value  of  a  good  location  for  grow- 
ing them,  many  naturally  sheltered  spots  of  ground,  protected 
from  northerly  w^inds  by  buildings,  trees,  or  hills,  remain 
unappreciated.  Tight  board  fences  are  no  protection  worth 
mentioning. 

"  A  heavily  manured  crop  of  tobacco  would  fit  such  places 
for  tobacco  beds,  and  leave  them  freer  from  -weeds  than  any 
other  cultivation  ;  and  a  subsequent  use  of  some  commercial 
fertilizer  would  avoid  the  introduction  of  weed  seed.  With 
these  precautions,  and  a  careful  destruction  of  all  neighboring 
weeds,  a  tolerably  clean  bed  may  be  expected.  To  prepare 
the  ground,  plow  or  loosen  deeply  with  a  large  cultivator ; 
27 


418 


HOT  BEDS. 


MAKING   THE   PLANT   BED    IN    CONNECTICUT. 


harrow  in  two-thirds  of  the  fertilizer  to  be  used ;  rake  the 

bed  perfectly  level, 
then  rake  in  the  other 
third ;  roll  once,  and 
another  slight  raking 
will  fit  the  bed  for 
sowing,  after  which 
it  should  be  rolled 
down  hard.  If  the 
soil  is  handled  in  dry- 
ing M-eather,  it  should 
be  done  quickly,  be- 
cause damp  ground, 
if  prepared  and  rolled 
down  before  drying, 
will  'set'  like  mor- 
tar, and  remain  damp 
on  the  surface. 
Moisture  and  darkness  are  essential  to  the  germination  of 
the  seed,  and  these  conditions  can  be  secured  only  by  making 
the  surface  compact  while  damp.  The  disintegration  of  the 
deeper  lumps,  and  the  decomposition  of  fertilizers,  will  cause 
the  surface  to  grow  gradually  softer.  The  effect  of  plowing 
is  to  break  the  ground  into  lumps,  which  lie  upon  each  other, 
giving  free  admission  to  the  air  between  them.  Harrowing 
makes  finer  the  lumps  near  the  surface,  and  mixes  the  fertil- 
izer deeper  than  a  rake  can  be  used.  The  first  raking  is  to 
pulverize  and  level,  so  that  rains  will  neither  collect  in  ponds, 
nor  run  off,  but  penetrate  the  soil  evenly.  The  second 
raking  is  to  mix  the  fertilizer  equally  through  the  soil,  to  tho 
depth  of  an  inch  or  less,  and  reduce  the  lumps  to  the  size  of 
peas,  which  is  as  fine  as  a  medium  loam  can  be  made  without 
danger  of  a  tough  crust.  Too  much  working  destroys  the 
healthy  grain  of  the  soil,  and  reduces  it  to  a  paste,  which  the 
roots  of  the  tobacco  plants  can  penetrate  but  slowly. 

"  The  bed  should  not  be  watered  before  nor  after  the 
plants  come  up.  The  ground  will  be  cold  enough  without 
any  extra  evaporation,  and  if  the  place  is  suitable  for  tobacco 
plants,  and  rightly  fitted,  the  surface  will  be  damp  in  the 
morning,  even  in  very  dry  weather.  If  the  plants  need 
stimulating,  sow  on  them  a  coat  of  Peruvian  guano  or  super- 
phosphate at  the  commencement  of  a  rain,  regulating  the 
quantity  used  by  the  amount  of  the  water  likely  to  fall. 
Superphosphate    makes    dark-colored,    thick-leaved,   stockj 


PREPARATION  OF  SEED.  419 

plants.  Fish  gnano  has  about  the  same  effect,  but  gives  a 
ligliter  color  and  thinner  leaf.  Peruvian  guano  is  more  stim- 
ulating than  either,  and  makes  a  light-colored,  thin  leaf. 
Great  caution  is  necessary  in  the  use  of  these  powerful  medi- 
cines to  avoid  an  over-dose.  A  quantity  that  would  be  safe 
in  a  heavy  rain,  would  in  a  light  rain  kill  many  or  nearly  all 
the  plants. 

"  Old  seed  will  sprout  sooner  than  new.  The  seed  should 
be  measured  while  dry,  and  the  same  spoon  used  every  year, 
so  the  effect  of  a  given  amount  may  be  noted  and  the  quan- 
tity regulated  by  experience.  Level  the  seed  in  the  spoon 
with  a  knife-blade,  like  measuring  grain  in  a  half-bushel. 
After  sprouting  again,  allowing  for  the  seed,  increase  in  bulk 
for  each  rod  separately.  The  amount  of  seed  needed  to  the 
square  rod  varies  with  different  seasons,  soils,  and  seeds,  but 
can  be  loosely  a  tablespoonful.  There  are  many  breeds  of 
tablespoons.  Too  thick  sowing  will  nearly  spoil  a  bed  by 
causing  it  to  produce  weak,  yellow,  spindling  plants,  while 
thin  sowing  will  give  good  square  ones.  A  bed  should 
appear  about  half  stocked  till  the  plants  are  nearly  ready  to 
set,  when  they  will  suddenly  spread  and  seem  to  multiply. 

"  Some  growers  sprout  and  some  prefer  dry  seed.  In 
favorable  circumstances  sprouting  will  give  a  gain  of  four 
to  six  days,  but  in  many  cases  dry  seed  will  be  fully  as  early. 
A  long  sprout  is  liable  to  be  broken  off  in  sowing,  or  killed 
by  cold,  after  it  is  in  the  ground.  A  sprout  just  showing  will 
endure  several  nights'  freezing  if  there  is  some  warm  sun  in 
the  day-time.  One  way  to  sprout  is  to  spread  the  seed 
thinly  on  cotton  cloth,  and  roll  it  up  inside  of  woolen  cloth, 
keep  it  in  a  warm  place,  and  dip  in  warm  water  every  day. 
In  about  four  days  the  white  spots  will  show.  Sprouted  no 
more  than  this,  it  will  stand  unfavorable  weather  as  well  as 
dry  seed.  A  pint  of  meal  and  a  pint  of  plaster  to  each  rod, 
is  a  good  mixture  to  sow  in.  Pouring  from  one  dish  to 
another  many  times  will  mix  the  plaster,  meal,  and  seed  per- 
fectly if  dry.  If  sprouted,  it  should  be  rubbed  through  the 
hands  a  few  times  with  the  mixture,  to  dry  it  and  prevent 
any  bunches  of  plants  coming  from  seed  stuck  together. 
The  plaster  will  show  on  the  ground  whether  the  sowing  is 
being  done  evenly. 

"Weeding  should  of  course  be  done  early  and  thoroughly. 
Weeds  are  stronger  than  the  plants,  and  a  little  neglect  will 
check  them,  making  practically,  perhaps,  a  difference  of  sev- 
eral days.     A  good  way  to  prepare  for  weeding  and  taking 


420  VIRGINIA  PLANT  PATCH. 

up  plants,  is  to  make  the  bed  about  fifteen  feet  wide,  and 
place  round,  straight  poles  across  it  about  eleven  feet  apart. 
The  poles  should  be  three  inches  in  diameter  at  the  smallest 
end.  They  cost  nothing  and  save  moving  blocks  around 
with  the  weeding  planks." 

"^  If  the  plants  are  tardy  of  growth,  or  the  season  is  back- 
ward, wooden  frames  covered  with  cloth  soaked  in  linseed 
oil  may  be  placed  over  the  beds,  which  is  far  better  than  to 
cover  with  pine  boughs  or  glass  even.  The  cloth  soaked  in 
oil  draws  the  rays  of  the  sun  and  keeps  the  earth  dry  and 
warm,  causing  a  rapid  growth  of  the  plants,  which  at  this 
stage  need  forcing  in  order  to  be  forward  enough  for  early 
transplanting.  A  Virginia  planter  gives  the  following 
description  of  making  the 

PLANT  PATCH. 

"  Cut  wood  in  September  or  October,  so  that  it  may  season, 
to  burn  patches  (beds)  in  winter  or  spring.  For  ten  acres, 
or  fifty  thousand  hills,  burn  and  sow  three  patches  each  of 
Beventy-five  square  yards.  Say  one  (if  the  land  be  in  good 
condition)  the  latter  part  of  December,  and  if  it  be  not  in 
condition  then,  burn  one  hundred  and  fifty  square  yards  the 
first  good  weather  in  January  or  February,  and  the  other  the 
first  of  March.  Select  a  place  on  some  small  constant  run- 
ning stream,  not  liable  to  overflow,  with  a  moist,  sandy  soil ; 
cut  down  all  trees  close  to  the  ground  ;  get  off  all  shrubbery, 
leaves,  etc.  The  patch  will  then  be  ready  for  wooding. 
Commence  by  laying  on  skids  ten  or  twelve  feet  long,  four 
in  diameter,  three  and  a  half  feet  apart ;  cover  thickly  with 
brush,  then  put  on  wood  regular  all  over,  and  thick  enough 
to  burn  dry  an  inch  in  depth.  Commence  your  fires  on 
the  side,  and  continue  to  move  after  it  has  burnt  hard 
enough.  After  it  has  burned,  sweep  off  all  coals,  but  not  the 
ashes :  then  it  will  be  ready  for  hoeing  up,  which  can  be  done 
with  good  grub  hoes ;  hoe  deep,  but  do  not  turn  over  the 
soil ;  get  ofl:  all  large  and  small  roots ;  chop  over  with  hill 
hoes,  and  rake  until  the  earth  is  thoroughly  pulverized  ;  then 
put  on  twenty-five  bushels  of  good,  fine,  stable  manure,  with- 
out weed  and  grass  seed,  and  twenty-five  pounds  of  Peruvian 
guano,  which  should  be  put  on  regularly,  hoed  and  raked  in. 

"  For  sowing,  lay  off  beds  four  feet  wide,  so  that  the  water 
from  rains  may  run  or  drain  oflT.     For  every  bed  four  feet 


VIRGINIA  PLANT  PATCH.  421 

wide  and  twelve  yards  long,  sow  one  chalk  pipe  bowl  full  of 
seed,  after  being  mixed  with  ashes ;  tread  with  the  feet  or 
pat  it  over  with  weeding  hoes,  that  it  may  be  close  and 
smooth  ;  cover  it  with  dog-wood,  maple,  or  any  fine  brush,  to 
the  depth  of  twenty  or  twenty-four  inches,  to  protect  the 
young  plants  from  cold  or  a  drouth.  After  the  plants  have 
commenced  coming  up,  re-sow  the  patches  with  half  the 
quantity  of  seed  first  sown,  which  will  not  interfere  with  the 
plants  first  up,  but  make  good  re-planting  plants.  When  the 
plants,  or  some  of  them,  have  grown  to  the  size  of  a  Spanish 
mill  dollar,  take  off  the  brush,  pick  off  all  sticks,  weeds,  and 
grass,  and  keep  them  well  picked  ma  til  you  have  finished 
setting  out. 

"  Should  the  plants  not  grow  fast  enough  to  suit,  manure 
with  Peruvian  guano  ;  have  it  fine,  and  sow  over  in  the 
middle  of  the  day  when  they  are  dry,  or  if  it  be  raining 
briskly,  it  may  then  be  sown  over.  Should  the  patches  be 
eufiering  for  rain,  put  five  pounds  of  Peruvian  guano  in 
twenty  gallons  of  water,  and  sprinkle  it  over  with  a  watering- 
pot.  To  destroy  the  flea,  bug,  or  fly,  put  dry  leaves  around 
the  patch,  and  set  fire  to  them  at  night,  which  will  attract 
and  destroy  them  if  they  are  disturbed  with  a  broom  or  leafy 
brush." 

The  old  Yirginia  planters  selected  and  made  the  plant 
patch  as  follows : — 

"The  quality  of  earth,  and  places  which  are  universally  chosen 
for  this  purpose,  are  newly  cleared  lands  of  the  best  possible 
light  black  soil,  situated  as  near  to  a  small  stream  of  water  as 
they  can  be  conveniently  found,  due  attention  being  paid  to 
the  dryness  of  the  place. 

"  The  beds,  or  patches,  as  they  are  called,  difier  in  size, 
from  the  bigness  of  a  small  salad  bed  to  a  quarter  of  an  acre, 
according  to  the  magnitude  of  the  crop  proposed ;  and  they 
are  prepared  for  receiving  the  seed  in  March  and  the  early 
part  of  April,  as  the  season  suits,  first  by  burning  upon  them 
large  heaps  of  brush  wood,  the  stalks  of  the  maize  or  Indian 
corn,  straw,  or  other  rubbish ;  and  afterwards,  by  digging  and 
raking  them  in  the  same  manner  of  preparing  ground  for 
lettuce  seed ;  which  is  generally  sown  mixed  with  the  tobacco 
seed  (the  same  process  being  suitable  to  both  plants) ;  and 
which  answers  the  double  purpose  of  feeding  the  laborer,  and 
of  protecting  the  young  tobacco  plant  from  the  fiy ;  for  which 
intent  a  border  of  mustard  seed  round  the  plant  patch  is 
found  to  be  an  effectual  remedy,  as  the  fly  prefers  mustard, 


422  TENNESSEE  PLANT  BED. 

especially  white  mustard,  to  any  other  young  plant ;  and  will 
continue  to  feed  upon  that  until  the  tobacco  plant  waxes 
strong,  and  becomes  mature  enough  for  transplantation." 

A  Tennessee  planter  gives  the  following  description  of  mak- 
ing the  plant  bed  as  practised  in  his  State.  In  some  respects, 
especially  in  preventing  the  growth  of  weeds,  it  is  the  best 
process  of  making  the  "  plant  patch  "  that  we  have  ever  seen 
described.     He  says : — 

"  To  make  a  good  plant  bed  it  requires  good  management 
and  pretty  hard  work.  It  will  hardly  be  done  well  without 
the  presence  of  the  farmer  to  attend  to  it.  The  time  to  make 
a  bed  is  from  the  15th  of  October  to  the  first  of  April.  The 
best  beds  are  made  in  the  Fall,  for  the  reason  that  the  ground 
is  then  very  dry  and  therefore  more  easily  burned,  and  besides 
there  is  more  time  for  the  ashes  to  rot  before  the  hot  weather. 
A  bed  turned  in  the  Fall  will  hold  moisture  better  than 
burned  later.  It  takes  less  Wood  to  burn  well.  The  plants 
are  more  vigorous  and  tougher.  The  soil  should  be  rich  and 
light  and  never  tilled  before.  The  location  should  be  as 
much  exposed  to  the  sun  as  possible.  It  is  best  for  a  bed  to 
be  surrounded  by  timber.  The  bugs  are  not  so  apt  to  find  it. 
Low  rich  vallej^s  will  generally  do  better  than  ridges,  though 
any  good  rich  new  ground  will  make  good  plants  if  well 
burned  and  prepared.  The  ground  should  be  raked  very 
clean  of  leaves  before  packing  on  the  brush  and  wood.  The 
fire  must  have  a  fair  chance  at  the  ground.  The  brush  should 
be  packed  on  straight  and  close,  at  least  enough  wood  mixed 
with  it  to  make  it  lie  close.  If  the  brush  is  green,  endeavor 
to  mix  what  dry  stufi"  there  is  thorough,  so  the  fire  will  burn 
through  without  trouble.  It  is  ver}'^  important  that  the  fire 
should  be  as  hot  as  possible  while  it  is  burning.  The  bed 
should  not  be  rained  upon  after  it  is  set  before  it  is  burned, 
as  it  will  be  doubtful  whether  the  ground  beneath  the  brush 
will  get  dry  well. 

"  The  ground  should  always  be  as  dry  as  possible  when  it 
is  burned.  The  bed  should  be  set  on  fire  in  several  places  at 
once  so  as  to  have  a  very  great  heat  on  it  at  once.  If  the 
ground  is  well  burned  it  will  be  a  little  crusty  and  whitish, 
and  will  pulverize  beautifully.  As  soon  as  the  ground  is  cool 
enough  it  may  be  loosened  up  and  pulverized.  This  should 
be  done  well,  and  may  be  done  with  a  good  sharp  harrow  and 
then  followed  with  hoes  and ,  grubbing  hoes.  Aim  to  keep 
the  ashes  and  rich  soil  on  the  surface,  and  for  this  reason  a 


CUBAN  PLANT  BED,  403 

bed  is  sometimes  damaged  by  a  too  deep  working.  Hake 
carefully,  getting  off  all  the  roots  and  trash.  The  bed  should 
be  drained  by  a  little  ditch  around  it  on  the  upper  side.  If 
it  is  very  early  in  the  Fall,  the  seed  should  not  be  sown  until 
the  danger  of  very  warm  days  has  passed.  After  the  last  of 
November  the  sowing  should  be  as  soon  as  the  bed  is  prepared. 
A  little  less  than  a  heaping  tablespoonful  to  ten  steps  square 
is  about  the  quantity  of  seed.  Cover  the  seed  very  lightly 
with  the  rake  or  tramping  the  ground  with  the  feet.  Cover 
the  bed  with  a  good  layer  of  straight  brush,  not  enough  to 
keep  the  light  rains  from  the  bed,  but  at  the  same  time 
enough  to  keep  the  ground  in  a  moist  condition  even  in  hot 
weather.  Make  a  low  close  brush  fence  around  the  bed  to 
keep  the  leaves  from  being  blown  upon  it.  Re-sow  whenever 
•  the  plants  are  well  up,  so  as  to  have  two  chances.  Take  off 
the  brush  cover  when  the  plants  are  big  enough  to  shade  the 
ground  themselves.  If  the  plants  are  rather  thin  on  the  bed, 
do  not  uncover  until  you  go  there  to  draw  the  plants.  If 
there  is  any  danger  of  a  scarcity  of  plants,  always  put  the 
trash  back  after  drawing." 
In  Cuba  the 

"SEMILLEROS" 

or  planting  beds  as  a  rule,  lie  higher  than  the  rest  of  the 
farm.  On  the  large  vegas  or  tobacco  plantations,  numbers  of 
planting  beds  are  made  under  the  supervision  of  the  mayoral. 
Siecke  gives  the  following  account  of  making  the  beds  or 
aemilleros : 

"  On  the  island  of  Cuba  any  field  selected  for  the  cultiva- 
tion of  tobacco  is  divided  into  long  beds  {Canteras)  twenty- 
five  to  twenty-eight  feet  long,  and  nineteen  to  twenty  inches 
wide.  The  soil  is  then  manured  with  a  mixture  of  two  parts 
of  well  rotten  dung  and  one  part  of  either  sand  or  fine  sandy 
earth.  During  the  months  of  August,  September,  and  even 
October,  the  beds  are  watered,  and  the  seeds  mingled  with 
the  nine-fold  quantity  of  fine  sand,  are  sown  broad  cast  or 
through  a  fine  sieve,  and  immediately  after  covered  with  a 
mixture  of  dung  and  triturated  or  molaxated  earth,  in  such  a 
manner  that  this  mixture  forms  a  covering  layer  of  about 
1-32  inches. 

"  The  utmost  care  is  taken  to  protect  the  seeds  against  the 
stifling  heat  of  sunrays  as  well  as  heavy  showers.  To 
this  end  forked  sticks  about  three  inches  high,  are  placed 


424  COVERING  PLANT  BED. 

around  the  tobacco   beds,  opposite  one  another,  and  into 


COVERING  PLANT  BED. 


these  forks  thin  twigs  are  laid,  which  are   covered  with 
palm-leaves  in  such  a  way  as  to  form  a  slight  roof." 

In  Syria  the  tobacco  seed  is  sown  in  ground  free  from 
stones,  well  manured  with  goats  dung,  and  strewn  over  with 
prickly  bushes  to  protect  the  young  plants  from  birds.  The 
plants  are  watered  daily  till  they  reach  the  height  of  eight  or 
ten  inches,  when  they  are  transplanted.  In  Persia  where  the 
celebrated  Shiraz  tobacco  is  cultivated,  the  seed  is  planted 
in  a  dark  soil  slightly  manured ;  the  ground  is  covered  with 
light  thorny  bushes  to  keep  it  warm,  and  these  are  removed 
when  the  plants  are  a  few  inches  high.  The  ground  ig 
regularly  watered  if  required,  and  when  the  plants  are  six  to 
eight  inches  high  are  transplanted.  In  Turkey  "  the  tobacco 
seed  is  sown  early  in  the  spring,  in  small  beds  carefully  pre- 
pared for  the  early  growth  of  the  young  plants.  In  a  few 
weeks  the  plants  appear  thick ;  then  begins  the  occupation  of 
the  farmer's  wife,  and  their  numerous  children,  whose  little 
fingers  are  engaged  day  by  day  in  thinning  the  beds,  care 
being  taken  to  leave  the  most  healthy  looking  plants.  The 
husband  is  engaged  either  in  carrying  water  from  the  nearest 
well  by  the  aid  of  his  mule,  or  in  preparing  the  land  for  the 
reception  of  the  plants.  The  beds  are  well  watered  before 
sunrise  and  after  sundown." 

"The  Hungarian  peasantry  always  make  their  tobacco 
beds  against  the  south  ends  of  their  houses.  These  beds  are 
enclosed  by  hurdles  two  feet  high,  at  the  bottom  of  which 
stones  are  laid,  and  on  the  outside  of  these,  thorns  are  thickly 


SELECTION  OF  SOIL.  425 

placed,  to  exclude  the  moles.  They  fill  this  enclosure  to  the 
height  of  eighteen  inches  with  fresh,  coarse  manure,  which 
they  press  closely  by  beating  as  they  throw  it  on  ;  covering 
with  finely  pulverized  earth  mixed  with  dung  of  the  preceding 
year  that  had  become  soil.  They  do  not  regulate  their  time 
of  sowing  either  by  the  moon,  month,  the  season,  but  by 
the  holy  week  of  the  passing  year ;  it  is  on  Good  Friday  that 
all  of  their  beds  are  sown,  and  although  this  day  may  vary 
nearly  one  month  in  difierent  years,  they  are  faithful  ta 
their  thermometer — their  piety  not  permitting  them  to  know 
any  other.  To  the  mysterious  influence  of  the  day,  without 
regard  to  the  season,  they  ascribe  their  success  and  they 
generally  succeed."  Bickinson  gives  an  account  of  the  man- 
ner of  making  the  plant  bed  in  the  East  Indian  Archipelago. 
He  says :  "  Not  far  from  us  is  a  hut  inhabited  by  two 
natives,  who  are  engaged  in  cultivating  tobacco.  Their 
ladangs,  or  gardens,  are  merely  places  of  an  acre  or  less, 
where  the  thick  forest  has  been  partially  destroyed  by  fire, 
and  the  seed  is  sown  in  the  regular  spaces  between  the 
stumps." 

After  making  the  plant  bed  and  tending  through  the  weed- 
ing season,  the  next  step  to  be  taken  is  the 

CHOICE  OF  GROUND 

for  the  tobacco  fields.  Tobacco,  unlike  any  other  plant, 
readily  adapts  itself  to  soil  and  climate.  The  effect  produced 
upon  the  plant  may  be  seen  in  comparing  the  tobacco  of 
Holland  and  France,  the  one  raised  upon  low,  damp  ground, 
the  other  on  a  sandy  loam.  The  early  growers  of  the  plant 
in  Virginia,  were  very  particular  in  the  selection  of  soil  for 
the  plant.  The  lands  which  they  found  best  adapted  were 
the  light  red,  or  chocolate-colored  mountain  lands,  the  light 
black  mountain  soil  in  the  coves  of  the  mountains,  and  the 
richest  low  grounds. 

Tatham  says :  "  The  condition  of  soil  of  which  the  plant- 
ers make  choice,  is  that  in  which  nature  presents  it  when  it 
is  first  disrobed  of  the  woods  with  which  it  is  naturally  clothed 
throughout  every  part  of  the  country ;  hence  in  the  parts . 
where  this  culture  prevails,  this  is  termed  new  ground,  which 
may  be  there  considered  as  synonymous  with  tobacco  ground. 
Thus  the  planter  is  continually  cutting  down  new  ground) 


426  THE  SOIL  AFFECTING  COLOR. 

and  every  successive  spring  presents  an  additional  field,  or 
opening  of  tobacco  (for  it  is  not  necessary  to  put  much  fence 
round  that  kind  of  crop) ;  and  to  procure  this  new  ground 
you  will  observe  him  clearing  the  woods  from  the  sides  of 
the  steepest  hills,  which  afford  a  suitable  soil ;  for  a  Virginian 
never  thinks  of  reinstating  or  manuring  his  land  with  economy 
nntil  he  can  find  no  more  new  land  to  exhaust,  or  wear  out, 
as  he  calls  it;  and,  besides,  the  tobacco  which  is  produced 
from  manured  or  cow-penned  land,  is  only  considered,  in 
ordinary,  to  be  a  crop  of  second  quality.  It  will  hence  be 
perceived,  (and  more  particularly  when  it  is  known  that  the 
earth  must  be  continually  worked  to  make  a  good  crop  of 
tobacco,  without  even  regarding  the  heat  of  the  sun,  or  the 
torrent  of  sudden  showers,)  that,  however  lucrative  this  kind 
of  culture  may  be  in  respect  to  the  intermediate  profits,  there 
is  a  considerable  drawback  in  the  waste  of  soil."  * 

In  the  Connecticut  valley  where  tobacco  is  grown  for 
wrapping  purposes,  the  selection  of  soil  will  depend  upon  the 
color  of  leaf  in  demand  (as  the  soil  as  well  as  the  fertil- 
izers determine  in  a  measure  the  color  and  texture  of  the 
tobacco).  If  the  grower  wishes  to  obtain  dark  colored 
tobacco  then  the  soil  selected  should  be  a  dark  loam ;  on  the 
other  hand,  if  a  light  colored  wrapper  is  desired  he  selects  a 
light  loam,  and  with  the  application  of  proper  fertilizers  the 
proper  color  will  be  obtained. 

The  tobacco  plant  flourishes  well  either  on  high  or  low 
I  ground,  providing  the  soil  be  dry  and  free  from  stones,  which 
\are  a  source  of  annoyance  during  the  cultivation  of  the 
\plants  and  especially  in  harvesting.  When  grown  on  very 
low  ground  the  plants  should  be  "  set "  early,  so  as  to  harvest 
before  early  frosts.  The  plant  may  be  cultivated  on  such  soil 
in  almost  any  part  of  the  valley  excepting  only  near  the  sound, 
or  other  body  of  salt  water,  the  effect  produced  by  plant- 
ing tobacco  too  near  the  sea,  more  especially  in  Connecticut, 
being  injurious  to  the  leaf,  which  is  apt  to  be  thick  and  unfit 


•Lianconrt  in  his  TraTeU  in  Korth  America,  says  of  tobacco  culture  In  Virginia:  "The 
nature  of  the  country  beyond  the  James  Kiver  is  much  more  variegated  than  on  this  side. 
At  present  they  are  preparing  the  lands  for  the  planting  of  tobacco.  After  having  worked 
the  land  it  is  thrown  into  small  hillocks.  *  »  *  The  cultivation  of  tobacco,  which  has 
been  very  much  neglected  during  several  years,  is  more  followed  this  year  on  account  of 
the  high  price  it  bears  in  Europe  ;  but  the  soil  has  been  so  long  worked  with  this  exhausting 
produce,  and  is  so  badly  manured  (for  manure  is  absolutely  necessary  for  tobacco  when  the 
eoU  is  not  newly  broken  ap>,  that  it  is  not  capable  of  producing  good  crops." 


RULES  FOR  SELECTING  SOIL.  427 

for  a  cigar  wrapper.  In  gome  countries,  however,  the  leaf 
grown  near  salt  water  is  equal  in  color  and  texture  to  any 
grown  in  the  interior.  But  generally  the  plant  obtains  its 
finest  form  and  quality  of  leaf — whether  in  the  islands  of 
the  ocean,  on  the  great  prairies  of  the  west,  amid  the  sands 
of  Arabia,  on  the  mountains  of  Syria,  or  along  the  dykes  of 
Holland — on  lands  bordering  the  largest  rivers.  This  is  true 
of  the  tobacco  lands  of  Connecticut,  Kentucky,  Virginia, 
Florida,  Brazil,  Venezuela,  and  Paraguay,  as  well  as  of  those 
in  the  islands  of  Cuba  and  St.  Domingo,  where  the  rivers 
flow  to  the  southern  coast  from  the  mountains  which  lie  to 
the  north.  It  must  not  be  imagined  from  this  that  tobacco 
can  not  be  successfully  cultivated  at  a  distance  from  valleys 
enriched  by  large  and  overflowing  rivers.  Some  of  the  finest 
tobacco  grown  in  Connecticut  is  grown  in  counties  some 
distance  from  the  river  that  gives  name  to  our  state. 

When  possible,  select  that  kind  of  soil  for  the  tobacco 
field  that  will  produce  the  color  and  texture  of  leaf  desired. 
For  Connecticut  seed  leaf  a  light  moist  loam  is  the  proper 
Boil.  The  same  field  can  be  used  a  number  of  seasons  in 
fiuccession ;  the  result  will  be  a  much  finer  leaf  than  will 
come  from  selecting  a  new  field  each  year.  The  early  plant- 
ers of  tobacco  in  Virginia  soon  ruined  their  fields  by  failing 
to  manure  them.  In  Maryland  the  soil  best  adapted  for  the 
growth  of  tobacco  is  a  light,  friable  soil,  or  what  is  commonly 
called  a  sandy  loam,  not  too  flat,  but  of  a  rolling,  undulating 
surface,  and  not  liable  to  overflow  in  excessive  rains.  New 
land  is  far  better  than  old. 

A  Missouri  tobacco  grower  gives  the  following  account  of 
the  selection  of  soil  for  tobacco  in  that  State : — 

"Select  upland,  or  black  oak  ridges  and  slopes,  which 
comprise  a  large  area  of  the  tobacco  lands  of  our  county, 
and  carefully  clear  off  all  the  timber,  and  take  out  all 
the  roots  we  can  conveniently,  and  break  up  the  ground  as 
thoroughly  as  can  be  done  by  ploughing  and  harrowing  until 
all  the  tufts  and  dirt  are  perfectly  pulverized." 

In  Cuba  the  planters  select  the  red  soil  as  the  best  for  fine 
tobacco.     Some  planters,  however,  prefer  a  soil  mixed  of  ^ 


428  PREPARING  THE  SOIL. 

sand  and  |^  to  f  of  decayed  vegetable  matter.  In  St.  Domin- 
go the  soil  is  not  uniform.  The  planters  select  a  deep  black 
loam  or  tenacious  clay,  or  even  loams  mixed  with  sand.  The 
most  fertile  places  are  on  the  banks  of  the  Yuna,  from  Laxay 
to  Jaigua,  in  the  vicinity  of  Mocha,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Camoo,  and  around  La  Yega.  Around  Santiago,  clay  and 
sand  predominate,  and  the  soil  can  not  be  highly  praised. 
Most  of  the  tobacco  grown  in  the  island  is  raised  in  the 
valley  of  the  Yega. 

Cussree,  in  treating  of  this  subject,  says : — 

"  The  quahty  of  tobacco  depends  as  much  upon  the  nature 
of  the  soil  as  of  the  climate.  The  plant  requires  peculiarities 
of  soil  to  develop  certain  of  its  qualities.  And  these  peculi- 
arities are  such  that  art  cannot  furnish  the  conditions  to 
produce  them  where  they  are  naturally  wanting.  The  sugar- 
cane grows  chiefly  on  soils  derived  from  calcareous  forma- 
tions ;  but  few  or  none  of  these  are  fitted  for  tobacco,  which 
is  cultivated  only  on  sandy  loams.  Both  the  Cuban  and 
American  planters  concur  in  asserting  that  a  large  quantity 
of  silicious  matters  in  soils  is  essential  for  the  growth  of 
good  tobacco. 

"  As  already  noticed,  the  rich  clay  loams  on  the  banks  of 
the  James  River,  in  Yirginia,  do  not  grow  good  tobacco ; 
while  the  less  fertile  silicious  soils  in  the  county  of  Louisa 
produce  it  much  superior  in  quality.  Small  patches  of 
tobacco  are  everywhere  seen  growing  over  the  sugar  produc- 
ing districts  of  Cuba ;  but  I  saw  no  tobacco  plantations  in  the 
calcareous  regions  over  which  I  traveled.  The  soils  rest 
upon  the  primary  formation.  Even  in  the  tobacco  districts 
the  planters  know  the  spots  in  the  different  fields  that  produce 
the  various  qualities  of  leaf." 

In 

PREPARING  THE  SOIL     . 

for  the  reception  and  growth  of  the  plants,  the  fertilizing  as 
well  as  the  plowing  of  the  fields  should  be  performed  in  the 
most  thorough  manner.  The  first  is  essential  for  a  large 
and  vigorous  growth,  while  the  latter  renders  the  cultivation 
of  the  plants  much  easier.  The  careful  preparation  of  soil  ia 
80  intimately  connected  with  all  that  pertains  to  the  plant, 
that  it  should  be  done  well  in  order  that  the  best  results  may 


FERTILIZERS.  429 

follow.  Tobacco  of  good  body,  color,  and  texture,  cannot  be 
grown  on  laud  devoid  of  fertility.  The  field  selected  for 
tobacco,  if  heavy  sward,  should  be  plowed  early  in  the  spring 
or  the  fall  before,  and  later  in  the  season  if  the  turf  is  well 
rotted.  After  spreading  on  the  manure,  the  field  may  be 
plowed  again  and  harrowed  frequently  until  all  the  lumps 
are  made  fine,  and  the  surface  mellow. 

In  the  use  of  fertilizers  select,  if  a  light  colored  leaf  is 
desired,  either  horse  manure  or  tobacco  stems.  In  the  Con- 
necticut valley  nearly  all  kinds  of  Domestic,  Commercial,  and 
Special  fertilizers  are  used.  Of  domestic  fertilizers,  horse 
manure  is  considered  the  best,  as  it  produces  the  finest  and 
lightest  colored  leaf  of  any  known  fertilizer.  Of  commercial 
fertilizers,  Peruvian  guano  is  doubtless  one  of  the  best — 
imparting  both  color  and  fineness  to  the  leaf.  Of  special 
manures,  tobacco  stems  are  perhaps  the  best,  at  least  the  most 
frequently  used.  Of  the  other  special  fertilizers,  such  as 
cotton  seed  meal,  castor  pomace,  ground  bone,  damaged 
grain,  tobacco  waste  and  saltpetre  waste,  much  may  be  said 
both  in  praise  and  dispraise.  Cotton  seed  meal,  when  used 
with  domestic  manure  is  an  excellent  and  powerful  manure. 

If  domestic  manures  are  applied,  use  about  twelve  cords  to 
the  acre,  composting  before  plowing  under.  As  soon  as 
spread,  plow  the  field  and  see  that  all  of  the  manure  is 
covered.  If  tobacco  stems  are  used,  plow  in  from  three  to 
five  tons  to  the  acre,  all  of  them  at  once,  or  a  part  in  the  fall 
and  the  remainder  in  the  spring.  If  Peruvian  guano  is 
applied,  sow  on  about  three  hundred  pounds  to  the  acre  in 
connection  with  the  domestic  manure.  Fish  guano  should  be 
composted  before  sowing,  either  with  loam  or  manure,  and 
when  used  on  light  soil  is  a  very  good  fertilizer,  producing  a 
light,  thin  leaf.  After  the  tobacco  field  is  harrowed  it  is 
ready  for  the  ridger,  which  makes  the  hills  and  gathers 
together  all  of  the  loose  manure  on  the  surface,  and  collects 
it  in  the  ridges.  "Where  a  ridger  is  not  used,  work  ofi"  the 
rows  from  three  and  one  half  to  four  feet  apart,  or  even  wider 
than  this.     In  the  Connecticut  valley  the  field  is  marked  and 


430 


VIRGINIA  METHODS. 


hilled  so  as  to  give  about  6000  hills  to  the  acre.  This  will 
be  a  sufficient  number  if  the  growth  is  likely  to  be  large. 
Where  a  ridger  is  used,  manure  can  not  be  dropped  in  the 
hill  and  in  many  respects  it  is  well  not  to  do  so,  as  the  plants 


A   TOBACCO   RIDGER. 


are  liable  to  be  blown  over  during  a  storm — not  standing  as 
firmly  in  the  hills  as  plants  when  no  manure  is  used  in  the 
hills.  If  the  hills  are  to  be  made  with  the  hoe,  avoid 
all  stones,  bits  of  turf  and  grass  in  making  them,  and  select 
only  the  fresh  earth — gently  patting  the  top  of  the  hill  with 
the  hoe.  New-  made  hills  are  better  than  old,  but  it  will 
make  but  little  difference  unless  the  soil  is  very  dry  at  the 
time  of  transplanting. 

The  following  description  of  the  manner  of  preparing  the 
tobacco  field  in  Virginia  by  the  old  planters  is  quite  interest- 
ing, and  gives  some  idea  of  the  amount  of  labor  to  be 
performed  on  the  tobacco  plantation : — 

"  There  are  two  distinct  and  separate  methods  of  preparing 
the  tobacco  ground :  the  one  is  applicable  to  the  preparation 
of  new  and  uncultivated  lands,  such  as  are  in  a  state  of  nature, 
and  require  to  be  cleared  of  the  heavy  timber  and  other 
productions  with  which  Providence  has  stocked  them ;  and 
the  other  method  is  designed  to  meliorate  and  revive  lands 
of  good  foundation,  which  have  been  heretofore  cultivated, 
and,  in  some  measure,  exhausted  by  the  calls  of  agriculture 
and  evaporation. 


BURNING  BRUSH.  431 

"  The  process  of  preparing  new  lands  begins  as  early  in  the 
winter  as  the  housing  and  managing  the  antecedent  crop  will 
permit,  by  grubbing  the  undergrowth  with  a  mattock ;  felling 
the  timber  with  a  poll-axe  ;  *  lopping  off  the  tops,  and  cutting 
the  bodies  into  lengths  of  about  eleven  feet,  which  is  about  the 
customary  length  of  an  American  fence  rail,  in  what  is  called 
a  worm  or  panel  fence,  f  During  this  part  of  the  process 
the  negro  women,  boys,  and  weaker  laborers,  are  employed 
in  piling  or  throwing  the  brush-wood,  roots,  and  small  wood, 
into  heaps  to  be  burned ;  and  after  such  logs  or  stocks  are 
selected  as  are  suitable  to  be  mailed  into  rails,  make  clap- 
boards, or  answer  for  other  more  particular  occasions  of  the 
planter,  the  remaining  logs  are  rolled  into  heaps  by  means  of 
hand-spikes  and  skids;  but  the  Pennsylvania  and  German 
farmers,  who  are  more  conversant  with  animal  powers  than 
the  Virginians,  save  much  of  this  labor  by  the  use  of  a  pair 
of  horses  with  a  half  sledge,  or  a  pair  of  truck  wheels. 

"  The  burning  of  this  brush-wood,  and  the  log  piles,  is  a 
business  for  all  hands  after  working  hours ;  and  as  nightly 
revels  are  peculiar  to  the  African  constitution,  this  part  of 
the  labor  proves  often  a  very  late  employment,  which  affords 
many  scenes  of  rustic  mirth.  When  this  process  has  cleared 
the  land  of  its  various  natural  incumbrances  (to  attain  which 
end  is  very  expensive  and  laborious),  the  next  part  of  the 
process  is  that  of  the  hoe ;  for  the  plough  is  an  implement 
which  is  rarely  used  in  new  lands  when  they  are  either 
designed  for  tobacco  or  meadow.  There  are  three  kinds  of 
the  hoe  which  are  applied  to  this  tillage  :  the  first  is  what  is 
termed  the  sprouting  hoe,  which  is  a  smaller  species  of  mat- 
tock that  serves  to  break  up  any  particular  hard  part  of  the 
ground,  to  grub  up  any  smaller  sized  grubs  which  the  mat- 
tock or  grubbing  hoe  may  have  omitted,  to  remove  small 
stones  and  other  partial  impediments  to  the  next  process. 
The  narrow  or  hilling  hoe  follows  the  operation  of  the 
sprouting  hoe.  Jt  is  generally  from  six  to  eight  inches  wide, 
and  ten  or  twelve  in  the  length  of  the  blade,  according  to 
the  strength  of  the  person  who  is  to  use  it ;  the  blade  is  thin, 
and  by  means  of  a  movable  wedge  which  is  driven  into  the 
eye  of  the  hoe,  it  can  be  set  more  or  less  digging  (as  it  is 
termed),  that  is,  on  a  greater  or  less  angle  M'itli  the  helve,  at 


*  This  is  a  short,  thick,  heavy-headed  axe,  of  a  somewhnt  ohlong  shape,  with  which  the 
Americans  make  great  dispatch.  They  treat  the  Kngllsli  poll-axe  with  great  contempt,  and 
always  WDrk  it  orer  again  as  old  iron  hefore  they  deem  it  fit  for  their  use. 

tThe  worm  or  panel  fence,  orlglmilly  of  Virginia,  connists  of  logs  or  mailed  rails  from 
about  four  to  six  or  eight  inches  tliick  and  eleven  feet  in  Icnirth.  A  good  fence  consists  of 
ten  rails  and  a  rider.    It  is  called  a  worm  fence  from  the  zigzag  manner  of  Us  coDBtrucUoi;. 


432 


IMPLEMENTS. 


pleasure.  In  this  respect  there  are  few  instances  where  the 
American  blacksmith  is  not  employed  to  alter  the  eye  of  an 
English-made  hoe  before  it  is  fit  for  nse ;  the  industrious  and 
truly  useful  merchants  of  Glasgow  have  paid  more  minute 
attention  to  this  circumstance. 

"  The  use  of  this  hoe  is  to  break  up  the  ground  and  throw 
it  into  shape  ;  which  is  done  by  chopping  the  clods  until  they 
are  sufficiently  fine,  and  then  drawing  the  earth  round  the 
foot  until  it  forms  a  heap  round  the  projected  leg  of  the 

laborer  like  a  mole  hill,  and 
nearly  as  high  as  the  kuc  e ;  lie 
then  draws  out  his  foot,  fiatteus 
the  top  of  the  hill  by  a  dab  with 
the  flat  part  of  the  hoe,  and 
advances  forward  to  the  next 
hill  in  the  same  manner,  until 
the  whole  piece  of  ground  is 
prepared.  The  center  of  these 
hills  are  in  this  manner  guessed 
^^^  by  the  eye;  and  in  most  in- 
stances they  approach  near  to 
lines  of  four  feet  one  way,  and 
three  feet  the  other.  The  plant- 
er always  endeavors  to  time  this 
operation  so  as  to  tally  with  the 
growth  of  his  plants,  so  that  he  may  be  certain  by  this  means 
to  pitch  his  crop  within  season. 

"The  third  kind  of  hoe  is  the  broad  or  weeding  hoe. 
This  is  made  use  of  during  the  cultivation  of  the  crop,  to 
keep  it  clean  from  the  weeds.  It  is  wide  upon  the  edge,  say 
from  ten  inches  to  a  foot,  or  more ;  of  thinner  substance  than 
the  hilling  hoe,  not  near  so  deep  in  the  blade,  and  the  eye  is 
formed  more  bent  and  shelving  than  the  latter,  so  that  it  can 
be  set  upon  a  more  acute  angle  upon  the  helve  at  pleasure, 
by  removing  the  wedge." 

The  manner  of  preparing  the  soil  in  Virginia  at  the  present 
time  is  thus  described  by  a  Virginia  planter : — 

"  The  crop  usually  grown  in  Virginia  is  divided  into  three 
classes,  viz.: — Shipping,  Sun-cured  Fillers,  and  Bright  Coal- 
cured  Wrappers  and  Smokers.  The  first  may  be  grown  on 
any  good  soil,  upland  or  alluvial :  the  latter  two  on  dry,  well- 
drained  upland  only.  All  require  thorough  preparation  of 
the  soil  to  insure  good  crops.  The  work  first  necessary  for 
this  crop  is  to  burn  a  sufficiency  of  plant  land.     To  prepare 


DRAWING  THE  DIRT  AROUND  THE  FOOT. 


TRANSPLANTING  PLANTS. 


433 


the  land  for  transplanting,  put  the  land  in  full  tilth,  then 
mark  olf  with  a  shovel,  ])low  furrows  three  feet  to  three  feet 
four  inches  apart,  and  into  these  furrows  sow  the  fertilizers ; 
then  with  turniui^  plows,  bed  the  land  on  these  furrows,  and  to 
facilitate  the  hilling,  cross  these  beds  three  feet  apart  with  fur- 
rows by  a  shovel  plow,  and  the  hills  are  made,  except  to  pat 
them  with  hoes.  Hilly  lands  will  seldom  admit  of  this  cross- 
plowing,  and  the  beds  must  be  chopped  into  hills.  On  new 
ground  apply  the  fertilizers  broadcast.  It  acts  well,  and  for 
line  yellow  pays  better  on  new  grounds  than  any  other  lands. 
The  culture  is  essentially  the  same  for  all  classes  of  tobacco. 
Stir  the  land  up  as  often  as  necessary  to  promote  a  rapid 
growth  of  the  plants,  and  to  keep  down  grass  and  weeds. 
'  Shipping '  tobacco  may  be  plowed  later  and  worked  longer 
than  '  fine  yellow.'  For  'coal-curing'  sacrifice  pounds  for 
color." 

The  next  operation  to  be  performed  on  the  tobacco  farm 
or  plantation  is 

TRANSPLANTING. 

As  soon  as  four  or  five  leaves  on  a  plant  about  the  size  of  a 
dollar  have  appeared,  they  are  large  enough  to  transplant. 


TRANSPLANTING. 


Take  the  plants  up  with  care,  sprinkling  with  water  and 
keeping   covered.     In  taking  them  up,  the  earth   may  be 

28 


434 


SETTING. 


allowed  to  remain  on  the  roots,  or  shaken  off,  at  the  option 
of  the  grower.  As  a  general  rule,  however,  the  earth  should 
remain  rather  than  be  shaken  off.  Eemove  to  the  field  and 
drop  one  at  each  hill,  and  where  the  plants  are  small,  two. 
A  common  custom  is  to  "  set "  every  tenth  or  twelfth  hill 
with  two  plants.  This  is  a  good  plan,  as  they  are  frequently 
needed  during  hoeing  time  to  "fill  in."  If  holes  have  not 
been  made,  insert  the  first  two  fingers,  making  a  hole  large 
enough  for  the  roots  to  remain  in  an  easy  and  natural  posi- 
tion. Press  the  earth  gently  around  the  plant  if  the  soil  is 
moist,  but  if  dry,  more  firmly.  See  that  the  plant  stands  in 
an  upright  position.  If  dry  after  '•  setting  "  the  plants,  water 
them,  and  if  a  protracted  drought  follows,  cover  them  up 
with  grass  or  hay  dipped  in  water ;  remove,  however,  in  a  day 
or  two.*     Plaster  may  also  be  used  to  advantage,  as  it  keeps 


TRANSPLANTING. 


the  hill  moist,  besides  fertilizing  the  plant ;  put  a  little  just 
around  the  plants.  In  taking  up  from  the  bed  select  large 
ones,  leaving  the  smaller  ones  to  grow.  Transplanting  should 
commence  as  early  as  possible  that  this  result  may  follow. 


•Walker  says  of  tobacco  culture  In  Colombia  (Sonth  America) :— "It  is  advisable  to  cover 
the  plant  with  a  banana  leaf,  or  something  similar:  by  this  means  the  tobacco  is  protected 
from  the  beat  of  the  buu,  and  from  the  heavy  rains,  which  would  not  prove  less  prejudicial." 


VIRGINIA  METHdD.  435 

Plants  Tvitli  largo  broad  leaves  are  considered  the  best, 
while  those  that  grow  tall  and  "  spindling"  or  "long  shank" 
plants,  as  they  are  called  at  the  South,  are  rejected  and 
should  not  be  set  out  when  others  that  are  more  "  stocky  " 
can  be  obtained.  Avoid,  however,  setting  too  large  plants, 
a&  they  are  not  as  apt  to  live  as  smaller  ones.  Transplanting 
should  be  done  as  fast  as  possible,  that  the  tobacco  field  may 
present  an  even  appearance  and  be  ready  to  harvest  at 
one  time.  If  the  plants  are  to  grow  and  ripen  evenly,  the 
transplanting  should  be  finished  in  a  week  or  two  from  the 
time  of  the  first  setting.  This  can  generally  be  done  unless 
plants  are  very  scarce,  when  circumstances,  beyond  the 
growers'  control,  often  make  the  field  give  apparent  evidence 
of  want  of  care,  although  the  real  trouble  is  a  want  of  plants. 

"  It  may  be  necessary  to  water  the  plants  once  or  twice 
after  transplanting ;  this  in  a  measure  will  depend  upon  the 
season." 

Tatham  in  his  Essay  on  the  Culture  and  Commerce  of 
Tobacco,  (London  1800,)  gives  an  account  of  the  manner  of 
transplanting  in  Virginia  at  that  period.     Under  the  head  of 

"THE  SEASON  FOR  PLANTING," 

he  says : 

"  The  term,  '  season  for  planting,'  signifies  a  shower  of 
rain,  of  sufiicient  quantity  to  wet  the  earth  to  a  degree  of 
moisture  which  may  render  it  safe  to  draw  the  young  plants 
from  the  plant  bed,  and  transplant  them  into  the  hills 
which  are  prepared  for  them  in  the  field,  as  described  under 
the  last  head;  and  these  seasons  generally  commence  in 
April,  and  terminate  with  wjiat  is  termed  the  long  season  in 
May ;  which  (to  make  use  of  an  Irishism),  very  frequently 
happens  in  June ;  and  is  the  opportunity  which  the  planter 
finds  himself  necessitated  to  seize  with  eagerness  for  the 
pitching  of  his  crop  :  a  term  which  comprehends  the  ultimate 
opportunity  which  the  spring  M'ill  afford  him,  for  planting  a 
quantity  equal  to  the  capacity  of  the  collective  power  of  his 
laborers  when  applied  in  cultivation.  By  the  time  which 
these  seasons  approach,  nature  has  so  ordered  vegetation, 
that  the  weather  has  generally  enabled  the  plants,  (if  duly 


436  SEASON  IN  MEXICO  AND  PERSIA. 

sheltered  from  the  spring  frosts,  a  circumstance  to  which  a 
planter  should  always  be  attentive  in  selecting  his  plant  patch,) 
to  shoot  forward  in  suflScient  strength  to  bear  the  vicissitude 
of  transplantation. 

"  Thej  are  supposed  to  be  equal  to  meet  the  imposition  of 
this  task,  when  the  leaves  are  about  the  size  of  a  dollar ;  but 
this  is  more  generally  the  minor  magnitude  of  the  leaves ;  and 
some  will  be  of  course  about  three  or  four  times  that  medium 
dimension.  Thus,  when  a  good  shower  or  season  happens 
at  this  period  of  the  year,  and  the  field  and  plants  are  equally 
ready  for  the  intended  union,  the  planter  hurries  to  the  plant 
bed,  disregarding  the  teeming  element,  which  is  doomed  to 
wet  his  skin,  from  the  view  of  a  bountiful  harvest,  and  hav- 
ing carefully  drawn  the  largest  sizable  plants,  he  proceeds 
to  the  next  operation,  (that)  of  planting. 

"  The  office  of  planting  the  tobacco,  is  performed  by  two 
or  more  persons,  in  the  following  manner :  The  first  person 
bears,  suspended  upon  one  arm,  a  large  basket  full  of  the 
plants,  which  have  just  been  drawn  and  brought  from  the 
plant  bed  to  the  field,  without  waiting  for  an  intermission  of 
the  shower,  although  it  should  rain  ever  so  heavily  ;  such  an 
opportunity  indeed,  instead  of  being  shunned,  is  eagerly 
sought  after,  and  is  considered  to  be  the  sure  and  certain 
means  of  laying  a  good  foundation,  which  cherishes  the  hope 
of  a  bounteous  return.  The  person  who  bears  the  basket, 
proceeds  thus  by  rows  from  hill  to  hill ;  and  upon  each  hill 
he  takes  care  to  drop  one  of  his  plants.  Those  who  follow 
make  a  hole  in  the  center  of  each  hill  with  their  fingers,  and 
having  adjusted  the  tobacco  plant  in  its  natural  position, 
they  knead  the  earth  round  the  root  with  their  hands,  until 
it  is  of  a  sufficient  consistency  to  sustain  the  plant  against 
wind  and  weather.  In  this  condition  they  leave  the  field  for 
a  few  days,  until  the  plants  shall  have  formed  their  radifica- 
tions ;  and  where  any  of  them  shall  have  casually  perished, 
the  ground  is  followed  over  again  by  successive  replantings, 
until  the  crop  is  rendered  complete." 

In  tropical  regions,  the  plants  are  transplanted  as  well  in 
summer  and  fall  as  in  the  spring,  but  more  frequently  in  the 
early  autumn.  In  Mexico,  transplanting  is  performed  from 
August  till  I^ovember.  In  Persia,  the  tobacco  plants  are 
"  transplanted  on  the  tops  of  ridges  in  a  ground  trenched  so  as 
to  retain  water.  When  the  plants  are  thirty  to  forty  inches 
high,  the  leaves  vary  from  three  to  fifteen  inches  in  length, 


THE  AMERICAN  TRANSPLANTER. 


437 


when  the  buds  are  ready  to  be  pinched  off ;  tlie  leaves 
increase  in  size  until  August  and  September,  when  they  have 
attained  their  growth."  In  Turkey  "  when  the  young  plants 
are  about  six  inches  in  height  they  are  removed  from  the 
small  beds  and  planted  in  fields  like  cabbages  in  this  country, 
and  are  then  left  to  nature  to  develop  them  to  a  height  of 
from  three  to  four  feet ;  three  leaves,  however,  are  removed 
from  each  plant  to  assist  its  growth." 

A  year  or  two  since,  a  machine  was  invented  and  offered 
to  the  growers  of  the  Connecticut  valley,  called  a  transplanter, 
of  which  we  here 
give  an  engraving. 
The  inventor  claimed 
that  the  "American 
Transplanter "  could 
do  the  work  of  several 
men  and  do  it  equally 
well.  It  rolls  along 
the  ridge  something 
like  a  wheelbarrow, 
marking  the  hills 
with  a  sharp  joint  in 
the  wheel  and  setting 
the  plants  as  they  are  dropped  into  the  receptacles  at  the  top. 

The  tobacco  plant,  like  most  of  the  vegetable  products, 
has  many  and  varied  foes,  ]S"ot  only  is  it  most  easily  affected 
and  damaged  by  wind  and  hail,  but  it  seems  to  be  the  espe- 
cial favorite  of  the  insect  world,  who,  like  man,  love  the  taste 
of  the  plant.  The  first  of  them  "  puts  in  an  appearance " 
immediately  after  transplanting,  which  necessitates  the  per- 
formance of  what  is  known  to  all  growers  of  the  plant  as 

WORMING. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  worms  that  prey  upon  the  plants; 
viz :  the  "  cut  worm  "  -  and  the  green  or  "horn  worm."     The 


AMERICAN    TRANSPLANTER. 


•  Hughes,  In  Ws  History  of  Barbadoes,  says  that  the  common  people  call  the  worm  kltlfonU. 


438 


PESTS. 


first  commences  its  work  of  destruction  in  a  few  hours  after 
transplanting  in  the  field.  During  the  night  it  begins  by 
eating  off  the  small  or  central  leaves  called  by  the  grower  the 
"  chit,"  and  often  so  efiectually  as  to  destroy  the  plant.  The 
time  chosen  by  the  planter  to  find  these  pests  of  the  tobacco 


field  is  early  in  the  morning,  when  they  can  be  found  nearer 
the  surface  than  later  in  the  day.  Remove  the  earth  around 
the  roots  of  the  plants,  where  the  worm  will  generally  be 
found.  Occasionally  they  are  found  farther  from  the  hill. 
If  they  are  numerous,  the  field  should  be  "  wormed  "  every 
morning,  or  at  least  every  other  day,  which' labor  will  be 
rewarded  with  a  choice  collection  of  primitive  tobacco  chewers. 
Sometimes  the  worms  are  very  small  and  difiicult  to  find, 
while  at  other  times  more  are  found  than  are  required  for  the 
growth  and  development  of  the  plants.  As  soon  as  they 
disappear  they  make  way  for  the  "horn  worm''  who  now 
takes  his  turn  at  a  "  chaw."  By  some  the  cut  worm  is  con- 
sidered the  most  dangerous  foe ;  as  it  often  destroys  the  plant, 


WORMING. 


139 


while  the  other  injures  the  leaf  without  endangering  the 
plant.  A  little  plaster  sprinkled  around  the  hill  sometimes 
cheeks  their  progress,  yet  we  have  never  found  any  remedy 
that  would  hinder  their  depredations  very  much.  The  plants 
should  be  kept  growing  as  soon  as  transplanted,  which  will 
be  found  the  better  method,  as  they  will  soon  be  too  large  for 
the  cut  worm  to 
injure  them  much, 
if  at  all. 

The  "horn  worm" 
feeds  upon  the  finest 
and  largest  leaves. 
They  are  not  found 
as  often  on  the 
top  leaves — especi- 
ally those  growing 
on  the  very  highest 
part  of  the  stalk,  as 
they  prefer  the  ripe 
leaves   and    those 

lower  on  the  plant.  The  horn  worm,  if  large,  eats  the  leaves 
in  the  finest  part  of  them,  frequently  destroying  half  of  a 
leaf.  They  leave  large  holes  which  renders  the  leaf  worthless 
for  a  cigar  wrapper,  leaving  it  fit  only  for  fillers  or  seconds. 
In  Cuba  the  tobacco  plant  is  assailed  by  three  diflerent  kinds 
of  insects — one  attacks  the  foot  of  the  leaves ;  a  second  the 
under  side;  a  third  devours  the  heart  of  the  plant.  In 
Colombia  the  following  are  the  great  enemies  of  the  tobacco 
plant :  A  grub,  named  canne^  which  devours  the  young 
buds  ;  the  rosca-worm,  which  commits  its  depredations  in  the 
night  only,  burrowing  in  the  ground  during  the  day ;  the 
grub  of  a  butterfly,  called  by  the  Creoles  palometa ;  a  species 
of  scarabijeus  called  arader^  which  feeds  on  the  root  of  the 
plant;  and  a  species  of  caterpillar*  which  is  called  in  the 


WORMING   TOBACCO. 


*  Wallace  eay9  of  worming  tobacco  in  Brazil:  "  The  plants  are  much  attacked  by  the  cat- 
erpillar of  a  ephiux  motli,  which  grows  to  a  large  size,  and  would  completely  devour  the  crop 
unless  carefully  picked  ofl'.  Old  men,  and  women,  and  children  arc  therefore  constantly 
employed  going  over  a  part  of  the  field  every  day,  and  carefully  examining  the  plants  leaf  by 
leaf  till  the  insects  are  completely  exterminated." 


440  CULTIVATION. 

country  tlie  horned-toorm,  so  voracious  as  to  require  one  night 
only  to  devour  an  entire  leaf  of  tobacco.  At  the  South,  and 
especially  in  Virginia,  the  housewife's  flock  of  turkeys  are 
allowed  to  range  in  the  tobacco  fields  and  devour  many  of 
these  pests. 

Almost  as  soon  as  the  plants  have  been  transplanted,  the 
work  of 

CULTIVATING 

should  commence.  As  the  tobacco  plant  grows  and  ripens 
in  a  few  weeks  from  the  time  it  is  transplanted  in  the  field, 
it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  the  plants  get  "  a  good 
start "  as  soon  as  possible.  In  a  favorable  season,  and  with 
ordinary  culture,  the  plants  will  do  to  harvest  or  "  cut "  in 
from  eight  to  ten  weeks  after  transplanting.  From  the  rapid- 
ity of  its  growth  it  will  readily  be  seen  that  the  plant  should 
come  forward  at  once,  if  large,  fine  leaves  are  desired.  In  a 
week  from  the  time  of  transplanting  a  light  cultivator  should 
be  run  between  the  rows,  stirring  the  soil  lightly,  after  which 
the  plants  should  be  hoed  carefully,  drawing  away  from  the 
hill  and  plant  the  old  and  "baked"  earth  and  replacing  it  with 
fresh.  If  the  hill  is  hard  around  the  plant  it  should  be 
loosened  by  striking  the  hoe  carefully  into  the  hill  and  gently 
lifting  the  earth,  thus  making  the  hill  mellow.  This  is  apt 
to  be  the  case  with  stiflf,  clayey  soil,  which,  if  possible,  should 
be  avoided  in  selecting  the  tobacco  field. 

It  is  doubtless  as  true  a  saying  as  it  is  a  common  one  with 
Connecticut  tobacco-growers,  that  the  plants  will  not  "  start 
much  until  they  have  been  hoed."  Where  the  first  hoeing  is 
delayed  two  or  three  weeks,  the  plants  will  to  a  certain 
extent  become  stunted  and  dwarfed,  and  will  hardly  make  up 
for  the  delay  in  growing.  In  from  two  to  three  weeks,  the 
field  should  be  hoed  again,  and  this  time  the  cultivator  should 
mellow  the  soil  a  little  deeper  than  the  first  time,  w^hile  the 
hoeing  should  be  done  in  the  most  thorough  manner.  Draw 
the  earth  around  the  plant  and  cut  up  with  the  hoe  all  grass 
and  weeds,  aiid  remove  all  stone  and  lumps  of  manure  and 


BACKWARD  PLANTS.  441 

any  rubbish  that  will  hinder  easy  cnlti ration,  or  retard  the 
growth  of  the  plants.  At  this  period  the  most  careful  atten- 
tion must  be  given  to  the  plants,  as  they  are  (or  ought  to  be) 
growing  rapidly,  and  upon  their  early  maturity  will  depend 
the  color  and  texture  of  the  leaf. 

In  a  short  time  the  plants  may  be  hoed  for  the  third  and 
last  time  (as  a  fourth  hoeing  is  but  rarely  necessary).  At 
this  time  they  have  attained  considerable  size,  (say  two  or 
three  feet  high)  and  are  rapidly  maturing,  and  ere  long  will 
be  ready  to  harvest.  At  the  last  hoeing  the  plants  should  be 
"  hilled  up,"  that  is,  the  earth  should  be  drawn  around  the 
plant  under  the  leaves,  causing  it  to  stand  firmly  in  the  hill, 
and  keeping  the  roots  well  protected  and  covered.  The 
tobacco  plant  requires  constant  cultivation,  and  the  cultivator 
may  be  run  through  the  rows  after  loosening  the  earth  and 
turning  up  the  manure  towards  the  plants. 

Some  growers  of  tobacco  in  the  early  stages  of  its  growth 
apply  some  kind  of  fertilizers  to  the  backward  jjlants;  this 
will  be  found  to  be  of  advantage,  and  should  be  done 
just  before  a  rain,  when  the  plants  will  start  in  a  manner 
almost  surprising.  A  little  phosphate  or  Peruvian  guano 
may  be  used,  but  should  be  applied  with  care  or  the  plants 
may  be  retarded  instead  of  quickened  in  their  growth. 

There  is  much  to  be  done  in  the  tobacco  field  besides  cul- 
tivating and  hoeing  the  plants.  In  many  hills  there  will  be 
found  two  plants,  which  should  be  re-set  at  the  second  hoe- 
ing if  needed,  and  if  not,  pulled  up  and  destroyed,  as  it  is 
better  to  have  one  large  plant  in  the  hill  than  two  small  ones. 
Again,  after  the  last  hoeing,  the  tobacco  should  be  kept  free 
from  worms.  If  any  have  been  overlooked  they  will  have 
attained  to  a  good  size  by  this  time,  and  will  devour  in  a 
short  time  enough  tobacco  to  make  a  "  short  six." 

From  this  account  of  the  cultivation  of  tobacco  as  practiced 
in  the  Connecticut  valley,  one  will  readily  see  that  the  labor 
performed  during  the  growing  of  the  plants  should  not  be 
superficial.  On  their  rapid  growth  depends  the  color  and 
texture  of  the  leaf.     Plants  that  are  slow  in  maturing  never 


442 


CULTIVATION  IN  VIRGINIA. 


make  fine  wrapping  leaves  or  show  a  good  color.  "Where 
the  growth  is  rapid  the  plants  will  be  more  brittle  than  if  of 
slower  growth,  and  must  therefore  be  handled  with  care  in 
passing  through  the  rows  to  worm,  top,  and  sucker  the 
plants. 

A  century  ago  the  Virginia  planters  cultivated  their  tobacco 
fields  in  the  following  manner : — 

"  Hoeing  commences  with  the  first  growth  of  the  tobacco 
after  transplantation,  and  never  ceases  until  the  plant  is  nearly 
ripe,  and  ready  to  be  laid  by,  as  they  term  the  last  weeding 
with  the  hoe ;  for  he  who  would  have  a  good  crop  of  tobacco, 
or  of  maize,  must  not  be  sparing  of  his  labor,  but  must  keep 
the  ground  constantly  stirring  during  the  whole  growth  of 
the  crop.  And  it  is  a  rare  instance  to  see  the  plough  intro- 
duced as  an  assistant,  unless  it  be  the  slook  plough,  for  the 
purpose  of  introducing  a  sowing  of  wheat  for  the  following 
year,  even  while  the  present  crop  is  growing ;  and  this  is 
frequently  practiced  in  fields  of  maize,  and  sometimes  in 
fields  of  tobacco,  which  may  be  ranked  amongst  the  best 
fallow  crops,  as  it  leaves  the  ground  perfectly  clean  and 

naked,  permitting 
neither  grass,  weed, 
nor  vegetable  to  re- 
main standing  in  the 
space  which  it  has 
occupied." 

The  next  operation 
to  be  performed  in 
the  tobacco  field  is 
known  by  the  name 
of 

TOPPING, 

and  is  simply  break- 
ing or  cutting  off  the 
top  of  the  stalk,  pre- 
roPPiNG.  ^  venting  the  plant 

from  running  up  to 
flower  and  seed.  By  so  doing  the  growth  of  the  leaves  is 
secured,  and  they  at  once  develop  to  the  largest  possible  size. 


>    TOPPING.  443 

The  leaves  ripen  sooner  if  the  plant  is  topped,  while  the 
quality  is  much  better.  There  are  various  methods  of  top- 
ping as  well  as  dift'erent  periods.  Some  growers  top  the 
plant  as  soon  as  the  capsules  appear,  while  others  wait  until 
the  plants  are  in  full  blossom.  If  topped  before  the  plants 
have  come  into  blossom,  the  oi^eration  should  be  performed 
as  soon  as  possible,  as  a  longer  time  will  be  required  for  the 
leaves  to  grow  and  ripen  than  when  topping  is  delayed  until 
the  plants  are  in  blossom.  In  the  Connecticut  valley  most 
growers  wait  until  the  blossoms  appear  before  breaking  off 
the  top.  Topping  must  not  be  delayed  after  the  blossoming, 
in  order  that  all  danger  from  an  untimely  frost  may  be 
avoided.  The  toj)  may  be  broken  off  with  the  hand  or  cut 
with  a  knife,  the  latter  being  the  better  as  well  as  the  safer 
way.  Sometimes  the  rain  soaks  into  the  stalk,  rotting  it  so 
that  the  leaves  fall  off",  injuring  them  for  wrappers.  Top  the 
plants  at  a  regular  height,  leaving  from  nine  to  twelve  leaves, 
60  that  the  field  will  look  even,  and  also  make  the  number  of 
leaves  to  a  plant  uniform.  Late  plants  may  be  topped  with 
the  rest  or  not,  at  the  option  of  the  grower.  This  mode  of 
topping  refers  more  particularly  to  cigar  rather  than  cutting 
leaf.  Those  varieties  of  tobacco  adapted  for  cutting  leaf 
should  be  topped  as  soon  as  the  button  appears ;  top  low, 
thereby  throwing  the  strength  of  the  stalk  into  a  few  leaves, 
making  them  large  and  heavy.  The  number  of  leaves  should 
not  exceed  fourteen.  Let  it  stand  from  live  to  six  weeks 
after  it  is  topped.  The  object  in  letting  it  stand  so  long 
after  topping  is  to  have  it  thoroughly  rij)e.  This  gives  it  the 
bright,  rich,  golden  color,  entirely  different  from  cigar  leaf, 
but  very  desirable  for  chewing  leaf.  On  account  of  the 
length  of  time  it  must  stand  after  topping,  it  is  desirable  to 
take  that  which  has  been  topped  early,  in  order  to  have  it 
ripen,  and  get  it  in  before  a  freeze,  although  ripe  tobacco  is 
not  injured  by  cold  nights,  and  will  sometimes  stand  even  an 
ordinary  frost. 

The  manner  of  topping  in  Virginia  by  the  first  planters  in 
the  colony,  is  thus  described : — 


444  SUCKERS. 

"  This  operation,  simply,  is  that  of  pinching  off  with  the 
thumb  nail*  the  leading  stem  or  sprout  of  the  plant,  which 
would,  if  left  alone,  run  up  to  flower  and  seed ;  but  which, 
from  the  more  substantial  formation  of  the  leaf  by  the  help 
of  the  nutritive  juices,  which  are  thereby  afforded  to  the 
lower  parts  of  the  plant,  and  thus  absorbed  through  the  ducts 
and  fibres  of  the  leaf,  is  rendered  more  weighty,  thick,  and 
fit  for  market." 

Now  the  custom  is  to  top  for  shipping  from  eight  to  ten 
leaves,  for  coal-curing  from  ten  to  twelve,  according  in  both ' 
cases  to  strength  of  soil  and  time  of  doing  the  work. 

In  Mexico  "  as  soon  as  the  buds  begin  to  show  themselves 
the  top  is  broken  off.  Not  more  than  from  eight  to  ten 
leaves  are  left  on  the  plant,  without  counting  the  sand-leaf, 
which  is  thrown  away,"  and  destroyed  in  the  same  manner 
as  the  Dutch  are  said  to  do  of  spies.  In  some  countries  the 
plants  are  not  topped  at  all,  and  the  leaves  are  left  upon  the 
stalk  until  fully  ripe,  when  they  are  picked. 

The  next  labor  following  the  topping  of  the  plants  is  called 

SUCKEEING. 

Immediately  after  topping  the  plants,  shoots  or  sprouts 
make  their  appearance  at  the  base  of  the  leaves  where  they 
join  the  parent  stalk.  They  are  known  by  the  name  of  suckers 
and  the  removal  of  them  by  breaking  them  off  is  called  sucker- 
ing.  At  first  the  suckers  make  their  appearance  at  the  top  of 
the  plants  at  the  base  of  the  upper  leaves,  and  then  gradually 
appear  farther  down  on  the  stalk  until  they  are  found  at  the 
very  root  of  the  plant.  The  plants  should  be  suckered  before 
the  shoots  are  tough,  when  they  will  be  removed  with  difficulty, 
frequently  clinging  to  both  stalk  and  leaf,  thereby  injuring  the 
latter,  as  the  leaf  very  often  comes  off  with  the  sucker  if  the 
latter  is  left  growing  too  long.  The  plants  should  be  kept 
clean  of  them  and  especially  at  the  time  of  harvesting. 
An  old  writer  on  tobacco  says  of  Suckers  and  Suckering : — 
"  The  sucker  is  a  superfluous  sprout  which  is  wont  to  make 
its  appearance  and  shoot  forth  from  the  stem  or  stalk,  near  to 

•Many  of  the  Virginians  let  the  thnmb  nail  grow  long,  and  harden  it  in  the  candle,  for  this 
purpose  :  not  for  the  use  of  gouging  out  people's  eyes,  as  some  hare  thought  fit  to  insinuate. 


MATURATION. 


445 


the  junction  of  tlie  leaves  with  the  stem,  and  about  tlie  root 
of  the  plant  and  if  these  suckers  arc  permitted  to  grow,  they 


SUCKEKING. 


injure  the  marketable  quality  of  the  tobacco  by  compelling  a 
division  of  its  nutriment  during  the  act  of  maturation.  The 
planter  is  therefore  careful  to  destroy  these  intruders  with  tho 
thumb-nail  as  in  the  act  of  topping,  and  this  process  is  termed 
Biickering. " 

After  this  operation  is  performed  the  j^lanter  ascertains  in 


regard  to  the 

RIPENING  OF  THE  PLANTS. 

As  soon  as  the  plants  are  fully  ripe  they  not  only  take  on 
a  different  hue  but  give  evidence  of  decay.  The  leaves  as 
they  ripen  become  rougher  and  thicker,  assume  a  tint  of 
yellowish  green  and  are  frequently  mottled  with  yellow  spots. 
The  tobacco  grower  has  two  signs  which  he  regards  as  "  infal- 
lible "  in  this  matter.  One  is  that  on  pinching  the  ujider  part 
of  the  leaf  together,  if  ripe  it  will  crack  or  break  ;  the  other 
is  the  growth  of  suckers  to  be  found  ( if  ripe )  around  the 
base  of  the  stalk. 

Tatham  says : — 

"  Much  practice  is  requisite  to  form  a  judicious  discern- 
ment concerning  the  state  and  progress  of  the  ripening  leaf; 


U6 


THE  HARVEST. 


yet  care  must  be  used  to  cut  up  the  plant  as  soon  as  it  is  suffi- 
ciently rij)e  to  promise  a  good  curable  condition,  lest  the 
approach  of  frost  should  tread  upon  the  heels  of  the  crop- 
master  ;  for  in  this  case,  tobacco  will  be  among  the  first  plants 
that  feel  its  influence,  and  the  loss  to  be  apprehended  in  this 
instance,  is  not  a  mere  partial  damage  by  nipping,  but  a  total 
consumption  by  the  destruction  of  every  plant.  I  find  it 
difiicult  to  give  to  strangers  a  full  idea  of  the  ripening  of  the 
leaf :  it  is  a  point  on  which  I  would  not  trust  my  own  experi- 
ence without  consulting  sorale  able  crop-master  in  the  neigh- 
borhood ;  and  I  believe  this  is  not  an  uncustomary  precaution 
among  those  who  plant  it.  So  far  as  I  am  able  to  convey  an 
idea,  which  I  find  it  easier  to  understand  than  to  express,  I 
should  judge  of  the  ripening  of  the  leaf  by  its  thickening  suffi- 
ciently ;  by  the  change  of  its  color  to  a  more  yellowish  green ; 
by  a  certain  mellow  appearance,  and  protrusion  of  the  web  of 
the  leaf,  which  I  suppose  to  be  occasioned  by  a  contraction 
of  the  fibres ;  and  other  appearances  as  I  might  conceive  to 
indicate  an  ultimate  suspension  of  the  vegetative  functions." 
After  the  plants  have  ripened  the  operation  of  cutting  or 


begins. 


HARVESTING 

The  cutter  passes  from  plant  to  plant  cutting  only 


CUTTING   THE    PLANTS. 


those  plants  that  are  ripe.     In  harvesting  a  light  hatchet  or 


CUTTING. 


44T 


saw  may  be  used  or  a  tobacco  cutter  which  is  the  better  and 
not  as  liable  to  injure  the  leaves.  The  plants  may  be  cut 
either  in  the  morning  (after  the  dew  is  off)  or  just  at  night, 
providing  there  are  no  indications  of  frost.  Lay  the  plants 
carefully  on  the  sides  to  avoid  breaking  the  leaves.  If  the 
plants  are  cut  during  a  very  warm  day  they  should  be  examined 
from  time  to  time  as  they  are  liable  to  "  sun-burn,"  an  injury 
much  dreaded  by  the  planter,  as  sun-burnt  leaves  are  useless 
for  cigar  wrappers. 

After  the  plants  are  wilted  on  one  side  they  are  turned  so 
tliat  the  entire  plant  will  be  in  good  condiiion  to  handle 
without  breaking.  Harvesting  should  be  performed  in  the 
most  careful  manner.  At  this  time  the  leaves  are  very  brittle 
and  unless  the  cutter  is  an  experienced  hand  much  injury  may 
be  done  to  the  leaves.  The  stem  of  each  plant  is  severed  as 
near  as  possible  to  the  ground  and  afterwards  if  hung  on  lath 
they  are  divided  longitudinally  to  admit  the  air  and  dry  them 
sooner.  When  the  plants  are  to  be  hung  on  lath  they  may  be 
wilted  before  "  stringing"  or  not,  at  the  option  of  the  grower. 
Most  growers  are  of  the  opinion  now  that  the  plants  should 


■  ^ 

PL'TTIXG    ON    LATH. 


be  harvested  without  wilting  at  all,  stringing  on  the  lath  as 
soon  as  cut  and  carrying  them  immediately  to  the  shed. 

When  wilted  in  the  field  there  is  often  much  damage  done 
to  the  leaves  whether  they  are  sun-burnt  or  not.     Oftentimes 


448  HAN(j!I^'G. 

tlie  ground  is  hot  and  the  plants  in  a  few  hours  both  on  the 
under  and  upper  sides  become  very  warm  and  almost  burnt 
by  the  rays  of  the  sun.  For  this  reason  the  manner  of  hang- 
ing on  lath  is  the  better  way  and  in  !New  England  is  fast  dis- 
placing the  old  method  of  hanging  with  twine.  When  hung 
in  this  manner  five  or  six  plants  to  the  lath  are  the  usual 


CARRYING   TO   THE   SHED. 


number  unless  they  are  very  large.  When  placed  or  strung 
on  the  lath  the  plants  are  not  as  liable  to  sweat  or  pole  rot, 
owing  in  part  to  the  splitting  of  the  stalk,  which  causes  the 
rapid  curing  of  the  leaves  as  well  as  the  stalk  itself.  A  new 
method  of  hanging  tobacco  has  been  introduced  of  late  in  the 
Connecticut  valley  by  means  of  tobacco  hooks  attached  to  the 
lath.  This  mode  is  considered  by  many  growers  the  safest 
way,  and  by  others  as  no  better  than  the  more  common  way 
of  hanging  simply  on  the  lath. 

In  Yirginia  in  "  ye  olden  time,"  the  following  method  of 
harvesting  was  adopted  : — 

"  When  the  plant  has  remained  long  enough  exposed  to 
the  sun,  or  open  air,  after  cutting,  to  become  sufficiently 
pliant  to  bear  handling  and  removal  with  conveniency,  it 
must  be  removed  to  the  tobacco  house,  which  is  generally 
done  by  manual  labor,  unless  the  distance  and  quantity 
requires  the  assistance  of  a  cart.  If  this  part  of  the  process 
were  managed  with  horses  carrying  frames  upon  their  backs 


CUTTING  TIME  IN  CUBA.  44<) 

for  the  conveniency  of  stowage,  in  a  way  similar  to  that  in 
which  grain  is  conveyed  in  Spain,  it  would  be  found  a  con- 
siderable saving  of  labor.  It  becomes  necessary,  in  the  next 
place,  to  see  that  suitable  ladders  and  stages  are  provided, 
and  that  there  be  a  sufiicient  quantity  of  tobacco  sticks,  such 
as  have  been  described  to  answer  the  full  demand  of  the 
tobacco  house,  whatsoever  may  be  its  size;  time  will  be 
otherwise  lost  in  make-shifts,  or  sending  for  a  second  supply. 

"  When  everything  is  thus  brought  to  a  point  at  the  tobacco 
house,  the  next  stage  of  the  process  is  that  termed  hanging 
the  tobacco.  This  is  done  by  hanging  the  plants  in  rows 
upon  the  tobacco  sticks  with  the  points  down,  letting  them 
rest  upon  the  stick  by  the  stem  of  the  lowest  leaf,  or  by  the 
split  which  is  made  in  the  stem  when  that  happens  to  be 
divided.  In  this  operation  care  must  be  taken  to  allow  a 
sufficient  space  between  each  of  the  successive  plants  for  the 
due  circulation  of  air  between :  perhaps  four  or  five  inches 
apart,  in  proportion  to  the  bulk  of  the  plant.  When  they 
are  thus  threaded  upon  the  sticks  (either  in  the  tobacco 
houses,  or,  sometimes,  suspended  upon  a  temporary  scaffold 
near  the  door),  they  must  be  carefully  handed  up  by  means 
of  ladders  and  planks  to  answer  as  stages  or  platforms,  first 
to  the  upper  tier  or  collar  beams  of  the  house,  where  the 
sticks  are  to  be  placed  with  their  points  refiting  upon  the 
beams  transversely,  and  the  plants  hanging  down  between 
them.  This  process  must  be  repeated  tier  after  tier  of  the 
beams,  downwards,  until  the  house  is  filled  ;  taking  care  to 
hang  the  sticks  as  close  to  each  other  as  the  consideration  of 
admitting  air  will  allow,  and  without  crowding.  In  this 
position  the  plants  remain  until  they  are  in  condition  to  be 
taken  down  for  the  next  process." 

In  Cuba  about  the  beginning  of  January  the  tobacco  is 
ready  for  cutting.  If  the  harvest  is  good,  all  the  leaves  are 
taken  from  the  plants  at  once.  Tobacco  consisting  of  those 
leaves  is  called  Temprano,  or  "  Early  Pipe."  If,  on  the  con- 
trary, the  harvest  is  not  good,  the  immature  leaves  are  left 
to  grow.  Tobacco  formed  of  these  leaves  has  the  name  of 
Tardio,  or  "Late  Pipe."  In  every  respect,  appearance 
included,  the  Temprano  is  much  superior  to  the  Tardio.  In 
the  purchase  of  tobacco,  it  is  a  principal  thing  to  ascertain 
how  much  or  how  little  Temprano  a  parcel  contains.  More- 
over, there  are  what  may  be  called  bastard  leaves,  which 
29 


450  HARVESTING  IN  VIRGINIA. 

grow  after  the  leaves  proper  have  been  gathered.'*  Tobacco 
made  from  these  bastard  leaves  is  easily  recognizable,  the 
leaves  being  long  and  narrow,  of  a  reddish  color,  and  a  bitter 
taste. 

The  mode  of  harvesting  tobacco  in  Virginia  at  present  is 
thus  described  by  a  Virginia  planter : — 

"  In  bringing  to  the  barn  place  the  tobacco  on  scaffolds 
near  the  barn-door,  so  that  it  can  be  readily  housed  in  case 
of  rain.  As  Bright  Wrappers  and  Smokers  pay  so  much 
better  than  dark  tobaccos,  it  is  advisable,  whenever  practica- 
ble, to  coal-cure  all  that  ripens  of  a  uniform  yellow  color. 
The  quality  of  the  leaf  will  determine  the  hanging :  '  Ship- 
ping '  should  be  hung  seven  to  nine  plants  to  the  stick  four 
and  a  half  feet  long.  To  cure  the  plants  properly  requires 
some  experience,  great  care,  and  much  attention.  The  plants 
should  not  be  '  cut '  until  fully  ripe.  Be  careful  in  cutting 
to  select  plants  of  a  uniform  size,  color,  and  quality,  putting 
six  or  seven  to  the  stick.  Let  the  plants  go  from  the  cutter's 
hands  on  to  sticks  held  in  the  hands  of  women  or  boys  ;  and 
as  soon  as  the  sticks  are  full,  place  them  carefully  on  wagons 
and  carry  them  to  the  barn.  Place  the  sticks  on  tiers  about 
ten  inches  apart,  and  regulate  the  plants  on  the  sticks. 

"  It  is  impossible  to  lay  down  any  uniform  system  or  give 
specific  instructions.  General  principles  will  be  suggested  to 
guide  the  planter  amid  the  changeableness  of  seasons  and 
variableness  of  material  to  be  operated  upon." 

In  Turkey — 

"  The  planters  calculate  always  fifty-five  days  from  May 
12th,  for  their  crops  to  be  ready  for  gathering.  When  the 
leaves  show  the  necessary  yellow  tips,  they  are  carried  to  the 
house,  and  there  threaded  into  long  bunches  by  a  large,  flat 
needle,  about  a  foot  long,  passed  through  the  stalk  of  each." 

In  Ohio  the  process  of  harvesting  tobacco  for  cutting  is 
thus  described  by  a  grower : — 

"  When  thoroughly  ripe,  having  stood  two  or  three  weeks 
longer  than  is  necessary  for  cigar  leaf,  it  is  ready  to  cut. 
This  is  done  with  a  knife  made  for  the  purpose.  It  resem- 
bles a  wide  chisel,  except  that  the  handle  and  chisel  are  at 
right  angles.  Before  cutting,  the  stalk  is  split  down  through 
the  center.  Being  ripe,  it  splits  before  the  knife,  and  follow- 
ing the  grain  the  leaves  escape  unharmed.     This  splitting  ia 

*Second  crop,  or  Volunteer  tobacco. 


THE  SEASON  IN  OTHER  PLACES.  451 

done  in  as  little  time  as  is  necessary  to  cut  the  stalk  off  in 
the  ordinary  way.  Split  it  to  within  about  three  or  four 
inches  of  the  ground,  and  cut  it  off  in  the  ordinary  way  with 
the  same  knife.  Cut  it  off  and  hang  it  over  one  of  your 
sticks  that  you  have  driven  slanting  into  the  ground  near 
you.  Cut  and  put  six  stalks  on  the  stick,  and  then  lay  it 
down  on  the  ground  to  wilt,  taking  the  usual  care  to  prevent 
sun-burn.  When  it  is  sufficiently  wilted,  haul  to  the  shed 
and  hang  it  up." 

In  the  East  Indian  Archipelago,  "  as  soon  as  the  leaves  are 
fully  grown  they  are  plucked  off,  and  the  petiole  and  a  mid- 
rib are  cut  away.  Each  leaf  is  then  cut  transversely  into 
strips  about  a  sixteenth  of  an  inch  wide,  and  these  are  dried 
in  the  sun  until  a  mass  of  them  looks  like  a  bunch  of  oakum." 

In  Persia,  when  the  plants  are  ripe  they  are  cut  off  close 
to  the  root,  and  again  stuck  firmly  in  the  ground.  Bj 
exposure  to  the  night  dews  the  leaves  change  from  green  to 
yellow.  When  of  the  proper  tint,  they  are  gathered  in  the 
early  morning  while  wet  with  dew,  and  heaped  up  in  a  shed, 
the  sides  of  which  are  closed  in  with  light  thorny  bushes,  so 
as  to  be  freely  exposed  to  the  wind. 

In  Japan,  the  leaves  are  gathered  in  the  height  of  summer. 
When  the  flowers  are  of  a  light  tint,  two  or  three  of  the  leaves 
nearest  the  root  are  gathered.  These  are  called  first  leaves,  but 
produce  tobacco  of  second  quality.  After  the  lapse  of  a  fort- 
night, the  leaves  are  gathered  by  twos,  and  from  these  the 
best  tobaccos  are  produced.  Any  remaining  leaves  are  after- 
wards broken  off  along  with  the  stem  and  dried.  These 
form  the  lowest  quality  of  tobacco.  After  gathering,  the 
leaves  are  arranged  in  regular  layers  and  covered  with  straw 
matting,  which  is  removed  in  a  couple  of  days.  The  leaves 
are  now  of  a  light  yellow  color.  They  are  then  fastened  by 
the  stem  in  twos  and  threes  to  a  rope  slung  in  a  smoke 
room,  and  after  being  so  left  for  fourteen  or  fifteen  days,  they 
are  dried  for  two  or  three  days  in  the  sun,  after  which  they 
are  exposed  for  a  couple  of  nights  in  order  that  they  may  be 
moistened  with  dew.  They  are  then  smoothed  out  and 
arranged  in  layers,  the  stems  being  fastened  together,  pressed 
down   with   boards,   and    packed    away   in   a  dark    room. 


452  CURING. 

D'Alrairda  says  that  in  Java,  the  leaves  are  gathered  and 
tied  np  in  bundles  of  fifteen,  twenty  or  thirty,  and  suspended 
from  bamboo  poles  running  across  the  interior  of  the  shed, 
where  they  are  left  to  dry  for  twenty  days  or  more,  accord- 
ing to  the  state  of  the  atmosphere. 

As  soon  as  the  plants  have  been  hung  in  the  shed  the 
process  of 

CUEING 

begins.  If  fully  ripe  at  the  time  of  harvesting,  the  plants 
will  "  cure  down  "  very  fast  and  take  on  a  better  hue  than 
when  they  cure  less  rapidly.  During  cool  weather  the  doors 
and  ventilators  should  be  left  open  that  the  plants  may  have 
a  free  circulation  of  air  and  cure  the  faster.  When,  however, 
the  weather  is  damp,  they  should  be  closed,  to  avoid  sweat- 
ing and  pole  rot.  When  a  light  leaf  is  desired,  the  tobacco 
shed  should  be  provided  with  windows  to  let  in  plenty  of 
sunlight,  which  has  much  to  do  with  the  color  of  the  leaf. 
When  a  dark  leaf  is  desired,  all  light  should  be  excluded. 

The  time  necessary  for  the  curing  of  the  plants  will 
depend  upon  the  ripeness  of  the  plants  as  well  as  the  weather 
during  curing.  There  are  three  kinds  or  methods  of  curing, 
viz :  air  curing,  sun  curing  and  firing,  or  curing  by  flues. 
Air  curing  is  the  curing  of  the  plants  in  sheds  or  barns. 
Sun  curing  is  the  process  of  curing  in  the  open  air,  while 
"  firing"  is  the  process  of  curing  by  "  smoke,"  the  common 
method  employed  at  the  South  and  to  some  extent  at  the  West. 
This  is  the  common  way  of  curing  cutting  leaf,  while  air 
curing  is  the  manner  of  curing  cigar  leaf.  Tatham,  already 
quoted,  gives  the  following  account  of  the  process  as  per- 
formed in  Virginia  of 

"SMOKING  THE  CROP." 

"  From  what  has  been  said  under  the  head  of  hanging  the 
plant,  it  will  be  perceived  that  the  air  is  the  principal  agent 
in  curing  it,  but  it  must  be  also  considered  that  a  want  of 
uniform  temperature  in  the  atmosphere  calls  for  the  constant 
care  of    the    crop-master,  who  generally  indeed  becomes 


CURINa  BY  SMOKE.  453 

habitually  weather-wise,  from  the  sowing  of  his  plants,  until 
the  delivery  of  his  crop  to  the  inspector.  To  regulate  this 
effect  upon  the  plants  he  must  take  care  to  be  often  among 
them,  and  when  too  much  moisture  is  discovered,  it  is  tem- 
pered by  the  help  of  smoke,  which  is  generated  by  means  of 
small  smothered  fires  made  of  old  bark,  and  of  rotten  wood, 
kindled  about  upon  various  parts  of  the  floor  where  they 
may  seem  to  be  most  needed, 

"  In  this  operation  it  is  necessary  that  a  careful  hand  should 
be  always  near :  for  the  fires  must  not  be  permitted  to  blaze, 
and  burn  furiously ;  which  might  not  only  endanger  the 
house,  but  which,  by  occasioning  a  sudden  over-heat  while 
the  leaf  is  in  a  moist  condition,  might  add  to  the  malady  of 
*  firing '  which  often  occurs  in  the  field." 

In  Virginia  the  manner  of  curing  tobacco  at  the  present 
time,  is  thus  described  by  a  planter.  "  For  curing  tobacco 
the  simplest  method  is  sun-curing  or  air  curing  and  the  one 
most  likely  to  prove  successful.  The  tobacco  barn  should 
be  so  constructed  as  to  contain  four,  five  or  six  rooms  four 
feet  wide,  so  that  four  and  a  half  feet  sticks  may  fit,  all  alike. 
Log  barns  are  best  for  coal  curing.  All  should  be  built  high 
enough  to  contain  four  firing  tiers  under  joists  covered  with 
shingles  or  boards  and  daubed  close.  Fire  with  hickory  all 
rich,  heavy,  shipping  tobacco. 

"  As  soon  as  the  barn  is  filled  kindle  small  fires  of  coals  or 
hickory  wood,  about  twenty  fires  to  a  barn  twenty  feet  square, 
four  under  each  room.  Coal  is  best,  but  hickory  saplings, 
chopped  about  two  feet  long,  make  a  good  steaming  heat. 
The  successful  coal-curer  is  an  artist,  and  all  engaged  in  the 
business  are  experimenters  in  nature's  great  laboratory."  A 
North  Carolina  planter  gives  an  interesting  account  of  cur- 
ing tobacco  yellow.  "  Curing  tobacco  yellow,  for  which  this 
section  is  so  famous,  is  a  very  nice  process  and  requires  some 
experience,  observation,  and  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
character  and  quality  of  the  tobacco  with  which  3'ou  have  to 
deal,  in  order  to  insure  uniform  success.  Much  depends 
upon  the  character  of  the  crop  when  taken  from  the  hill. 
If  it  is  of  good  size,  well  matured  and  of  good  yellowish 
color,  there  is  necessarily  but  little  difficulty  in  the  operation. 
As  soon  as  the  tobacco  is  taken  from  the  hill  and  housed,  we 
commence  with  a  low  degree  of  heat,  say  95*^  to  100°  Fahr., 
'  the  yellowing '  or  '  steaming '  process.  This  is  the  first  and 
simplest  part  of  the  whole  process,  and  requires  from  fifteen 
to  thirty-six  hours,  according  to  the  size  and  quality  of  the 


454  YELLOW  TOBACCO. 

tobacco,  and  tins  degree  of  heat  should  be  continued  until 
the  leaf  opens  a  lemon  color,  and  is  nearly  free  from  any 
green  hue.  When  this  point  is  reached,  the  heat  should 
be  gradually  raised  to  lOS*^  in  order  to  commence  drying  the 
leaf,  and  here  lies  the  whole  difficulty  in  curing  (I  mean 
in  drying  the  leaf).  The  last  degree  of  heat  indicated, 
should  be  continued  five  or  six  hours,  when  it  should  again 
be  gradually  raised  to  110*^,  when  it  should  be  maintained 
at  this  point,  until  the  tail  or  points  of  the  leaves  begin 
to  curl  and  dry.  Indeed  it  will  probably  be  safest  for  begin- 
ners to  continue  this  degree  of  heat  until  one-third  of  the 
leaf  is  dried. 

"  The  temperature  may  then  be  gradually  increased  to  US'*, 
and  kept  for  several  hours  at  that  point,  until  the  leaf  begins 
to  rattle  when  shaken,  then  again  raise  the  heat  to  120®,  at 
which  point  it  should  be  continued  until  the  leaf  is  dried, 
after  which  the  temperature  may  be  increased  to  150*  or 
160*^  to  dry  the  stem  and  stalks ;  the  latter  should  be  black- 
ened by  the  heat  before  the  curing  is  complete.  Ordinarily 
it  requires  from  two  and  a  half  to  five  days  to  cure  a  barn 
of  tobacco,  dependent  entirely  upon  the  size  and  quality. 
Put  seven  or  eight  plants  on  each  stick  and  place  them  eight 
inches  apart  on  tier  poles.  In  the  yellowing  process  the  door 
of  the  barn  should  be  kept  closed  to  exclude  the  air. 
When  this  point  is  reached  for  drying  the  leaf,  the  door  may 
be  opened  occasionally,  and  kept  open  for  twenty  or  thirty 
minutes  at  a  time,  especially  if  the  tobacco  gets  into  a  "  sweat," 
as  it  is  called,  or  becomes  damp  and  clammy. 

"  The  temperature  is  raised  in  the  barn  by  cautiously  add- 
ing coal  from  time  to  time  to  the  fires,  which  should  be 
placed  in  small  piles  on  the  floor,  in  rows,  allowing  about 
five  feet  between  each  pile,  which  should  at  first  contain  a 
double  handful  of  coal.  In  adding  coal,  you  will  soon  learn 
the  quantity  necessary  to  be  applied  by  the  eflfect  produced. 
Avoid  raising  the  heat  hastily  after  the  drying ,is  commenced, 
lest  the  leaf  should  be  scalded  and  reddened ;  on  the  other 
hand,  it  should  not  be  raised  too  slowly  for  fear  of  '  raising 
the  grain,'  or  the  leaf  becoming  spongy  and  dingy.  Both 
extremes  are  to  be  avoided,  and  the  skill  required  is  attained 
only  by  experience  and  observation.  We  usually  cut  tobacco 
the  latter  part  of  the  week,  house  it  and  sufier  it  to  remain 
until  the  first  of  next  week,  that  we  may  not  violate  the 
fourth  commandment." 

In  California  tobacco  is  cured  by  the  method  known  as 


THE  "CULP  PROCESS."  455 

the  "  Gulp  process ''  from  tliu  nume  of  its  patentee.  When 
tlie  plant  lies  in  the  field,  Mr.  Gulp's  peculiar  process  begins 
which  is  described  as  follows : 

"  Tobacco  had  long  been  grown  in  Galifornia,  even  before 
Americans  came.  He  had  raised  it  as  a  crop  for  fifteen  years  ; 
and  before  he  perfected  his  new  process,  he  was  able  usually  to 
select  the  best  of  his  crop  for  smoking  tobacco,  and  sold  the 
remainder  for  sheep  wash.  One  year,  two  millions  of  pounds 
were  raised  in  the  State,  and  as  it  was  mostly  sold  for  sheep 
wash,  it  lasted  several  years,  and  discouraged  the  growers. 
Tobacco  always  grew  readily,  but  it  was  too  rank  and  strong. 
They  used  Eastern  methods,  topping  and  suckering,  and  as  the 
plant  had  here  a  very  long  season  to  grow  and  mature,  the 
leaf  was  thick  and  very  strong.  The  main  features  of  the 
Gulp  process  are,  he  said,  to  let  the  tobacco,  when  cut,  wilt 
on  the  field  ;  then  take  it  at  once  to  the  tobacco  house  and 
pile  it  down,  letting  it  heat  on  the  piles  to  100°  for  Havana. 
It  must,  he  thinks,  come  to  lOO*',  but  if  it  rises  to  102**  it  is 
ruined.  Piling,  therefore,  requires  great  judgment.  The 
tobacco  houses  are  kept  at  a  temperature  of  about  70'^  ;  and  late 
in  the  fall,  to  cure  a  late  second  or  third  crop  they  sometimes  use 
a  stove  to  maintain  a  proper  heat  in  the  house,  for  the  tobacco 
must  not  lie  in  the  pile  without  heating.  When  it  has  had 
its  first  sweat,  it  is  hung  up  on  racks;  and  here  Mr. 
Gulp's  process  is  peculiar. 

"  He  places  the  stalk  between  two  battens,  so  that  it  sticks 
out  horizontally  from  the  frame;  thus  each  leaf  hangs 
independently  from  the  stalk ;  and  the  racks  or  frames  are 
BO  arranged  that  all  the  leaves  on  all  the  stalks  have  a  separate 
access  to  the  air.  The  tobacco  houses  are  frame  buildings, 
100x60  feet,  with  usually  four  rows  of  racks,  and  two  gang- 
ways for  working.  On  the  rack  the  surface  moisture  dries 
from  the  leaf ;  and  at  the  proper  time  it  is  again  piled,  racked, 
and  so  on  for  three  or  even  four  times.  The  racks  are  of 
rough  boards,  and  the  floor  of  the  houses  is  of  earth.  After 
piling  and  racking  for  three  weeks,  the  leaves  are  stripped 
from  the  stalk  and  put  into  '  hands,'  and  they  are  then 
'bulked'  and  lie  thus  about  three  months,  when  the  tobacco 
is  boxed.  From  the  time  of  cutting,  from  four  to  six  months 
are  required  to  make  the  leaf  ready  for  the  manufacturer. 
"Piling"  appears  to  be  the  most  delicate  part  of  the  cure, 
and  they  have  often  to  work  all  night  to  save  tobacco  that 
th-eatens  to  overheat." 


456 


CURING  IN  OTHER  COUNTRIES. 


In  Mexico  the  leaves  are  hung  up  on  bast*  strings,  dried 
in  the  shade  and  then  sent  to  the  chief  depots,  where,  when 
they  have  undergone  fermentation,  they  are  sorted,  and  tied 
up  in  bundles.  In  Persia,  the  plants  are  carried  to  the  shed 
and  heaped,  and  in  four  or  five  days  the  desired  pale  yellow 
color  is  further  developed.  The  stalks  and  center  stem  of 
each  leaf  are  now  removed  and  thrown  away,  while  the  leaves 
are  heaped  together  in  the  drying  house  for  another  three 
or  four  days,  when  they  are  fit  for  packing. 

In  Turkey  the  bunches  of  leaves  are  exposed  to  the  sun  to 


dry,  and  some  months'  exposure  is  necessary  before  they  are 
sufiicently  matured  for  baling.  Eain  sets  in  at  a  later  period, 
and  the  tobacco  becoming  moist  and  fit  for  handling,  is  then 


*The  Inner  bark  of  the  lime-tree. 


STRIPPING. 


457 


removed  from  the  threads,  and  made  into  bundles  or  "  hands  " 
of  about  sixty  leaves  each  and  tied  around  the  stems. 

After  the  leaves  are  thoroughly  cured  they  are  in  condition 
for 

STRIPPING. 

The  leaves  of  the  tobacco  are  easily  affected  by  the  humidity 
of  the  atmosphere  and  during  damp  weather  every  opportunity 
is  improved  by  the  grower  for  taking  down  the  tobacco  prepar- 
atory to  stripping.  After  taking  down  from  the  poles  the 
plants  should  be  packed  in  order  to  keep  moist  until  stripped. 
The  tobacco  should  not  be  removed  from  the  poles  when  it 
drips  or  the  juice  exudes  from  either  the  stalk  or  the  leaves. 
If  stripped  in  this  condition  the  leaves  are  apt  to  stain  and 
thus  become  unfit  for  wrappers.  The  operation  of  stripping 
consists  in  taking  the  leaves  from  the  stalk  and  tying  them  in 
bundles  or  hands  with  a  leaf  around  the  base  of  the  hand. 


Each  "  hand  "  or  bunch  should  contain  at  least  eight  leaves 
and  from  that  number  to  twelve.  If  the  plants  are  large  the 
leaves  of  one  stalk  will  form  a  hand ;  a  poor  leaf  is  used  for 
binding  as  it  can  not  be  used  for  the  same  purpose  as  the 
leaves  around  which  it  is  bound. 

The  old  planters  of  tobacco  in  Virginia  called  this  operation 


458  ASSORTING. 

of  taking  off  the  leaves  and  tying  them  up  "  stripping  and 
bundling "  which  is  here  described. 

"  When  the  plants  of  tobacco  which  are  thus  hanging  upon 
the  sticks  in  the  house  have  gone  through  the  several  stages 
of  process  before  the  time  of  stripping,  and  are  deemed  to  be 
in  case  for  the  next  operation,  a  rainy  day  (which  is  the  most 
suitable)  is  an  opportunity  which  is  generally  taken  advantage 
of  when  the  hands  cannot  be  so  well  employed  out  of  doors. 
The  sticks  containing  the  tobacco  which  may  be  sufSciently 
cured,  are  then  taken  down  and  drawn  out  of  the  plants. 
They  are  then  taken  one  by  one  respectively,  and  the  leaves 
being  stripped  from  the  stalk  of  the  plant  are  rolled  round 
the  butts  or  thick  ends  of  the  leaves  with  one  of  the  smallest 
leaves  as  a  bandage,  and  thus  made  up  into  little  bundles  fit 
for  laying  into  the  cask  for  final  packing. " 

Hazard  gives  the  following  method  of  assorting  and  strip- 
ping tobacco  in  Cuba : — 

"  Among  the  Cubans,  the  leaves  are  divided  into  four 
classes :  first,  desecho,  desecho  limpio,  which  are  those  immedi- 
ately at  the  top  of  the  plant,  and  which  constitute  the  best 
quality,  from  the  fact  that  they  get  more  equally  the  benefit  of 
the  sun's  rays  by  day  and  the  dew  by  night ;  second,  desechito, 
which  are  the  next  to  the  above  ;  third,  the  libra,  the  inferior  or 
small  leaves  about  the  top  of  the  plant ;  and  fourth,  the  inju- 
■  riado,  or  those  nearest  the  root.  Of  the  injuriado  there  are 
three  qualities ;  the  best  is  called  injuriado  de  reposo,  or 
'the  picked  over,'  and  the  other  two,  firsts  and  seconds 
{jprimeros,  sequndos). 

"  Tobacco  of  the  classes  desechito  and  lihra,  of  which  the 
leaves  are  not  perfect,  is  called  injuriado  hueno,  while  all  the 
rest,  of  whatever  quality,  that  is  broken  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  be  unfit  for  wrappers'are  qsMq^l  injuriado  malo.  Amongst 
the  trade  in  place  of  the  above  names,  the  different  qualities 
are  simply  designated  by  numbers. " 

Meyer,  a  German  writer  who  resided  several  years  in  Cuba, 
gives  another  classification,  making  ten  classes  altogether, 
while  Hazard  mentions  only  four  general  classes. 

After  the  leaves  are  stripped  from  the  stalk  the  process 

known  as 

ASSORTING 

commences.     Assorting  tobacco  is  doing  up  in  hands  the  vari- 
ous qualities  and  keeping  them  separate.     In  the  Connecticut 


SHADING.  459 

valley  the  growers  make  usually  but  two  kinds  or  qualities 
excepting  only  when  the  crop  is  poor  when  three  qual- 
ities are  made,  viz  :  Wrappers,  Seconds,  and  Fillers.  The 
Wrappers  are  the  largest  and  finest  leaves  on  the  plant  and 
should  he  free  from  holes  and  sweat  as  well  as  green  and 
white  veins.  The  leaves  selected  for  this  quality  come  from 
the  middle  and  even  the  top  leaves  of  the  plant.  The 
Seconds  are  made  up  of  leaves  not  good  enough  for  Wrappers 
and  too  good  for  Fillers.  Such  leaves  sometimes  are  worm- 
eaten  and  of  various  colors  on  the  same  leaf  —  one  part  dark 
and  another  light.  The  fillers  are  the  poorest  quality  of  leaves 
to  be  found  on  the  plants,  and  consist  of  the  "  sand  "or  ground 
leaves,  one  or  two  to  each  plant.  Some  of  our  largest  growers 
in  assorting  the  leaves  keep  each  color  by  itself,  an  operation 

known  as 

SHADING. 

This  is  a  very  delicate  operation  and  requires  a  good  eye 
for  colors  as  well  as  a  correct  judgment  in  regard  to  the 
quality  of  the  leaf.  This  mode  of  assorting  colors  in  stripping 
is  similar  to  that  of  shading  cigars,  in  which  the  utmost  care 
is  taken  to  keep  the  various  colors  and  shades  hy  themselves. 
In  shading  the  wrappers  only  are  so  assorted,  and  may  be 
"  run  into  "  two  or  three  shades  depending  on  the  number  of 
shades  or  colors  of  the  leaf.  The  better  way  is  to  make  only 
two  qualities  of  the  wrappers  in  shading — viz., light  and  dark 
cinnamon  "  selections."  Shading  tobacco  does  not  imply  that 
it  is  carried  to  its  fullest  extent  in  point  of  color  as  in  shading 
cigars,  but  simply  keeping  those  general  colors  by  themselves 
like  light  and  dark  brown  leaves.  Cutting  tobaccos  before 
being  used  are  subjected  to  a  process  known  as 

STEMMING. 

Tatham  gives  the  following  account  of  the  process  of  stem- 
ming in  Virginia  a  century  ago : — 

'"  Stemming  tobacco  is  the  act  of  separating  the  largest 
stems  or  fibres  from  the  web  of  the  leaf  with  adroitness  and 
facility,  60  that  the  plant  may  be  nevertheless  capable  of 


460  STEMMING. 

package,  and  fit  for  a  foreign  market.  It  is  practised  in  cases 
where  the  malady  termed  the  fire,  or  other  casual  misfortune 
during  the  growth  of  the  plant,  may  have  rendered  it  doubt- 
ful in  the  opinion  of  the  planter  whether  something  or  other 
which  he  may  have  observed  during  the  growth  of  his  crop, 
or  in  the  unfavorable  temperature  of  the  seasons  by  which  it 


STEUUING. 


hath  been  matured  does  not  hazard  too  much  in  packing  the 
web  with  a  stem  which  threatens  to  decay.  To  avoid  the 
same  species  of  risk,  stemming  is  also  practised  in  cases  where 
the  season  when  it  becomes  necessary  to  finish  packing  for 
a  market  is  too  unfavorable  to  put  up  the  plant  in  leaf  in  the 
usual  method ;  or  when  the  crop  may  be  partially  out  of  case. 
Besides  the  operation  of  stemming  in  the  hands  of  the  crop- 
master,  there  are  instances  where  this  partial  process  is 
repeated  in  the  public  warehouses;  of  which  I  shall  treat 
under  a  subsequent  head. 

"  The  operation  of  stemming  is  performed  by  taking  the 
leaf  in  one  hand,  and  the  end  of  the  stem  in  the  other,  in 
such  a  way  as  to  cleave  it  with  the  grain ;  and  there  is  an 
expertness  to  be  acquired  by  practice,  which  renders  it  as 
easy  as  to  separate  the  bark  of  a  willow,  although  those 
unaccustomed  to  it  find  it  difiicult  to  stem  a  single  plant. 
When  the  web  is  thus  separated  from  the  stem,  it  is  made  up 


PACKING. 


461 


into  bundles  in  the  same  way  as  in  the  leaf,  and  is  laid  in 
bulk  for  farther  process.  The  stems  have  been  generally 
thrown  away,  or  burnt  with  refuse  tobacco  for  the 
purpose  of  soap-ashes ;  but  the  introduction  of  snufF-mills 
has,  within  a  few  years  back,  found  a  more  economical  use 
for  them." 

As  soon  as  the  tobacco  has  been  stripped  it  is  ready  for 

PACKING. 

It  is  necessary  to  pack  the  "  hands  "  after  stripping  in  order 
to  keep  it  moist,  or  in  nearly  the  same  condition  as  when 
stripped.  Select  a  cool  place,  not  too  dry  or  too  damp,  but 
one  where  if  properly  protected,  the  tobacco  will  remain 
moist.     It  should  be  packed  loosely  or  compact,  according  as 


the  hands  are  moist  or  dry.  It  may  be  packed  in  the  center 
of  the  floor  so  that  it  may  be  examined  from  either  side,  or 
against  the  sides  of  the  packing  house,  as  may  be  thought 
best.  Hand  the  tobacco  to  the  packer,  who  presses  the  hands 
firmly  with  his  knees  and  hands,  laying  the  tobacco  in 
twe  tiers  and  keeping  the  pile  at  about  the  same  height  until 


462  MISSISSIPPI  GARRETS. 

all  is  packed.  If  possible  pack  all  together,  that  is,  each  kind 
by  itself,  as  it  is  better  to  have  the  wrappers  or  fillers  all 
together  rather  than  in  several  places,  as  the  moisture  ia 
retained  better  than  when  it  is  packed  in  small  piles  or  heaps. 
Use  in  packing  a  plank  or  board,  placing  it  against  the 
front  of  the  tier  and  bring  the  ends  of  the  hands  up  against  it. 
This  will  make  the  tobacco  look  much  better  and  also  render 
the  process  of  packing  firmer. 

The  tobacco  may  be  packed  any  height  or  length  desired, 
according  to  the  quantity,  but  usually  from  three  to  four  feet 
high  will  be  found  to  be  convenient  while  the  length  may 
be  proportioned  to  the  height  or  not.  Tobacco  may  be 
packed  by  the  cord  or  half  cord  so  as  to  be  able  to  judge 
of  the  quantity — ^good  large  wrappers  averaging  a  ton  to  the 
cord.  Seconds  and  Fillers  will  not  contain  as  many  pounds  to 
the  cord  as  wrappers.  After  the  tobacco  is  packed,  cover 
first  with  boards — planed  ones  are  preferable, — or.  even  shing- 
les— and  press  firmly,  especially  if  the  tobacco  is  dry,  then  cover 
with  blankets  or  any  kind  of  covering,  adding  plank  or  pieces 
of  timber  if  additional  pressure  is  needed.  It  can  now 
remain  packed  until  sold  or  cased,  and  will  hardly  need 
to  be  examined  unless  packed  while  very  damp  or  kept 
packed  until  warm  weather. 

Wailes  says  of  planting  by  the  early  planters  of  tobacco  in 
Mississippi : — 

"  The  larger  planters  packed  it  in  the  usual  way  in  hogs- 
heads. Much  of  it,  however,  was  put  up  in  carrets,  as  they 
were  called,  resembling  in  size  and  form  two  small  sugar- 
loafs  united  at  the  larger  ends.  The  stemmed  tobacco  was 
laid  smoothly  together  in  that  form  coated  with  wrappers  of 
the  extended  leaf,  enveloped  in  a  cloth,  and-  then  firmly 
compressed  by  a  cord  wrapped  around  the  parcel,  and  which 
was  suffered  to  remain  until  the  carret  acquired  the  necessary 
dryness  and  solidity,  when  together  with  the  surrounding 
cloth,  it  was  removed,  and  strips  of  lime-bark  were  bound 
around  it  at  proper  distances,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  secure 
it  from  unwrapping  and  losing  its  proportions." 

In  Turkey,  after  the  tobacco  is  made  into  bundles  or  hands, 
it  is  piled  against  the  walls  inside  the  dwelling  rooms  and  a 


CASING.  463 

carefully  graduated  pressure  put  upon  it  until  ready  for 
baling.  In  Java,  when  the  tobacco  is  ready  to  pack  the  leaf  is 
examined,  and  if  found  quite  brown,  it  is  tightly  pressed  and 
packed  up  either  in  boxes  or  matting  for  exportation,  or  in 
the  bark  of  the  tree  plantain,  for  immediate  sale. 
The  next  process  on  the  tobacco  plantation  is  that  of 

PKIZING,  CASING,  AND  BALING. 

The  term  prizing  originated  in  Virginia,  and  as  performed 
by  the  early  planters,  is  thus  described  by  an  old  writer  on 
tobacco  culture: — 

"  Prizing,  in  the  sense  in  which  it  is  to  be  taken  here  is, 
perhaps,  a  local  word,  which  the  Virginians  may  claim  the 
credit  of  creating,  or  at  least  of  adopting ;  it  is  at  best  tech- 
nical, and  must  be  defined  to  be  the  act  of  pressing  or 
aqueezing  the  article  which  is  to  be  packed  into  any  package, 
by  means  of  certain  levers,  screws,  or  other  mechanical 
powers ;  so  that  the  size  of  the  article  may  be  reduced  in 
stowage,  and  the  air  expressed  so  as  to  render  it  less  pregnable 
by  outward  accident,  or  exterior  injury,  than  it  would  be  in 
its  natural  condition. 

"  The  operation  of  prizing,  however,  requires  the  combi- 
nation of  judgment  and  experience;  for  the  commodity  may 
otherwise  become  bruised  by  the  mechanic  action,  and  this 
will  have  an  efi'ect  similar  to  that  of  prizing  in  too  high  case, 
which  signifies  that  degree  of  moisture  which  produces  all 
the  risks  of  fermentation,  and  subjects  tlie  plant  to  be  shat- 
tered into  rags.  The  ordinary  apparatus  for  prizing  consists 
of  the  prize  beam,  the  platform,  the  blocks,  and  the  cover. 
The  prize  beam  is  a  lever  formed  of  a  young  tree  or  sapling, 
of  about  ten  inches  diameter  at  the  butt  or  thicker  end,  and 
about  twenty  or  twenty-five  feet  in  length ;  but  in  crops 
where  many  hands  are  employed,  and  a  suflicient  force 
always  near  for  the  occasional  assistance  of  managing  a  more 
weighty  leverage,  this  beam  is  often  made  of  a  larger  tree, 
hewn  on  two  of  its  sides  to  about  six  inches  thick,  and  of  the 
natural  width,  averaging  twelve  or  fourteen  inches.  The 
thick  end  of  this  beam  is  so  squared  as  to  form  a  tenon, 
which  is  fitted  into  a  mortise  that  is  dug  through  some 
growing  tree,  or  other,  of  those  which  generally  abound  con- 
venient to  the  tobacco  house,  something  more  than  five  feet 
above  the  platform.     Close  to   the  root  of  this  tree,  and 


464  ^LD  STYLE. 

immediately  under  the  most  powerful  point  of  the  lever,  a 
platform  or  floor  of  plank  is  constructed  for  the  hogshead  to 
Btand  upon  during  the  operation  of  prizing.  This  must  be 
laid  upon  a  solid  foundation,  levelled,  upon  hewn  pieces  of 


PRIZING    IN    OLDEN    TIMES. 


wood  as  sleepers  ;  and  so  grooved  and  perforated  that  any 
wet  or  rain  which  may  happen  to  fall  upon  the  platform  may 
run  off  without  injuring  the  tobacco.  Blocks  of  wood  are 
prepared  about  two  feet  in  length,  and  about  three  or  four 
inches  in  diameter,  with  a  few  blocks  of  greater  dimensions, 
for  the  purpose  of  raising  the  beam  to  a  suitable  purchase ; 
and  a  movable  roof  constructed  of  clap-boards  nailed  upon 
pairs  of  light  rafters,  of  sufficient  size  to  shelter  the  platform 
and  hogshead,  is  made  ready  to  place  astride  of  the  beam,  as 
a  saddle  is  put  upon  a  horse's  back,  in  order  to  secure  the 
tobacco  from  the  weather  while  it  is  subjected  to  this  tedious 
part  of  the  process. 

"  That  part  of  the  apparatus  which  is  designed  to  manage 
and  give  power  to  the  lever  is  variously  constructed :  in  some 
instances  two  beams  of  timber  about  six  feet  long,  and 
squared  to  four  by  six  inches,  are  prepared ;  through  these, 
by  means  of  an  auger  hole,  a  sapling  of  hickory  or  other 
tough  wood,  is  respectively  passed ;  and  the  root  thereof 
being  formed  like  the  head  of  a  pin  to  prevent  its  slipping 
through  the  hole,  the  sapling  is  bent  like  a  bow,  and  the 
other  end  is  passed  through  the  same  piece  of  wood  in  a 
reversed  direction,  in  which  position  it  is  wedged.  These 
two  bows  are  in  this  manner  hung  by  the  sapling  loops  upon 


RESISTANCE  TO  DAMPNESS.  465 

the  end  of  the  prize  beam  or  lever ;  and  loose  planks  or  slabs 
of  about  live  or  six  feet  long  being  laid  upon  these  suspended 
pieces  of  timber,  a  kind  of  lianging  floor  or  platform  is 
constructed,  upon  which  weights  are  designed  to  act  as  in  a 
scale.  A  pile  of  large  stones  are  then  carted  to  the  place, 
and  a  sufiicient  number  of  these  are  occasionally  placed  upon 
this  hanging  platform,  until  the  lever  has  obtained  precisely 
the  power  which  the  crop  master  wishes  to  give  it  by  this 
regulating  medium. 

"  The  prizing  or  packing  by  the  old  planters  must  have  been 
a  tedious  aflair,  and  far  difterent  from  the  quick  work  made 
by  the  screw-press  now  owned  by  all  well  to-do  planters. 
The  size  of  the  hogsheads  containing  the  tobacco  was  regu- 
lated by  law  to  the  standard  of  four  feet  six  inches  in  length, 
but  the  shape  of  the  cask  varied  according  to  the  fancy  of 
the  cooper,  or  roughness  of  his  work.  At  this  period  (a 
century  ago),  the  tobacco  hogshead  was  made  most  generally 
of  white  oak  ;  but  Spanish  oak,  and  red  oak,  were  sometimes 
used,  when  the  usual  kind  could  not  be  so  readily  commanded. 
Now  the  hogsheads  are  made  of  pine,  but  are  nearly  as  rough 
as  those  made  by  the  colonial  growers. 

"  Tobacco,  if  well  packed,  and  prized  duly,  will  resist  the 
water  for  a  surprising  length  of  time.  An  instance  is  recorded 
in  strong  proof  of  this,  which  occurred  at  Kingsland  upon 
James  river  in  Virginia,  where  tobacco,  which  had  been 
carried  off  by  the  great  land  floods  in  1771,  was  found  in  a 
large  raft  of  drift  wood  in  which  it  had  lodged  when  the 
warehouses  at  Richmond  were  swept  away  by  the  overflowing 
of  the  freshets ;  an  inundation  which  had  happened  about 
twenty  years  before  this  cask  was  found." 

Tatham  gives  the  following  account  of  a  similar  instance : — 

"  On  the  sixth  of  October,  1782, 1  myself  was  one  of  a  party 
who  were  shipwrecked  upon  the  coast  of  New  Jersey,  in 
America,  on  board  the  brigantine  Maria,  Captain  McAulay, 
from  Eichmond  in  Virginia,  and  laden  with  tobacco.  Several 
hogsheads,  which  were  saved  from  the  wreck  were  brought 
round  to  Stillwill's  landing  upon  Great  Egg  harbor;  and 
amongst  them  some  which  had  lost  the  headings  of  the  cask, 
and  the  hoops  and  staves,  were  so  much  shattered  by  the  beat- 
ing of  the  surf,  that  it  was  not  thought  worth  while  to  land 
them,  and  they  were  just  tumbled  out  of  the  lighter  upon  the 
beach,  and  left  to  remain  where  the  tide  constantly  flowed 
over  them  for  several  weeks,  so  that  the  outside  was  com- 
pletely rotten,  and  they  had  the  appearance  of  heaps  o£ 
30 


466  PRIZING.' 

manure.  In  this  very  bad  condition,  I  still  persisted  in  trying 
to  save  what  I  supposed  might  remain  entire  in  the  interior 
of  the  lump,  and  at  last  prevailed  so  far  over  tlie  ignorance 
and  prejudice  by  which  I  had  been  ridiculed,  as  to  effect  an 
overhauling  and  repacking  of  this  damaged  commodity  and  to 
save  a  proportion  thereof  very  far  beyond  what  I  myself  had 
expected.  Some  of  the  heart  of  this  was  so  highly  improved, 
that  I  have  seldom  seen  tobacco  equal  to  it  for  chewing,  or  for 
immediate  manufacture ;  and  what  was  repacked  was  sold  to  a 
tobacconist  in  Water  Street,  Philadelphia,  at  a  price  so  little 
reduced  below  the  ordinary  market,  that  the  man  very  frankly 
told  me,  that  if  he  could  have  had  the  whole  drowned  tobacco  in 
a  short  time  after  it  was  saved  from  the  wreck,  he  would  have 
made  no  difference  in  the  price  but  would  rather  have  prefer- 
red it  for  immediate  manufacture,  as  it  would  have  spared  him, 
some  little  labor  in  a  part  of  the  process. " 

Prizing  tobacco  applies  to  the  packing  of  tobacco  in  hogs- 
heads all  such  leaf  being  used  for  cutting  purposes,  cigar  leaf 
being  either  cased  or  baled.  In  some  sections  about  800 
pounds  net  is  packed  in  one  parcel,  while  in  others  1000 
pounds  and  sometimes  even  1500  and  1800  pounds.  "  Seed 
leaf  "  tobacco  in  this  country  is  all  packed  in  cases  instead  of 
hogsheads,  each  case  containing  from  375  to  400  pounds  net. 
It  is  necessary  that  all  kinds  of  tobacco  should  be  pressed  in 
some  kind  of  package  before  it  is  ready  to  be  manufactured. 
There  are  exceptions,  however,  as  in  the  case  of  Latakia 
tobacco,  which  is  simply  hung  in  the  peasant's  huts  through  the 
winter  to  be  fumigated  and  to  acquire  the  peculiar  flavor  this 
tobacco  has.  Tobacco  in  good  condition  to  case  must  be  damp 
enough  to  bear  the  pressure  in  casing  without  breaking  and 
crumbling,  while  it  must  not  be  too  moist  or  it  will  rot  in  the 
case.  The  number  of  pounds  to  the  case  will  vary  according 
to  the  size  of  the  leaf,  as  well  as  the  condition  of  the  tobacco. 

When  ready  to  case  the  "  hands  "  are  packed  in  the  case, 
laying  them  in  two  tiers.  The  case  being  nearly  full  the 
contents  are  then  subjected  to  a  strong  pressure  until  it  is 
reduced  to  one  half  its  bulk,  then  another  layer  is  placed  in 
the  case  and  again  pressed,  and  succeeded  by  as  many  as  are 
required  to  fill  the  case.  The  tobacco  should  be  packed  evenly 
in  layers  with  the  ends  of  the  leaves  touching  one  another  or 


MARKING.  467 

even  crossing,  and  the  whole  mass  presenting  a  smooth  and 
even  appearance.  The  "  wrappers  "  should  be  cased  by  them- 
selves and  "  the  seconds  "  and  "  tillers  "  together  or  separate 
at  the  option  of  the  packer.     The  tobacco  should  be  cased 


TOBACCO    PRESS. 


hard  so  that  the  mass  will  rise  but  little  when  the  pressure 
is  removed.  As  the  fillers  are  usually  dry  they  must  be 
moistened  before  casing  or  subjected  to  a  very  strong  press- 
ure. After  packing  the  cases  should  be  turned  on  their  sides, 
and  the  grower's  name  marked  on  each  case,  also  the  kind  of 
tobacco,  whether  wrappers  or  fillers,  together  with  the  number 
of  pounds  and  the  weight  of  the  case.  This  is  necessary  to 
ascertain  the  quality  of  leaf  produced  by  each  grower,  as  well 
as  to  protect  the  buyer  against  all  fraud  in  packing  and  casing. 
The  cases  may  be  piled  one  upon  another,  but  should 
be  kept  from  the  rays  of  the  sun  and  in  a  dry  room,  so  that 
the  sweating  of  the  leaf  may  be  sufficient  to  fit  it  for  use. 
It  is  necessary  that  the  season  during  sweating  should  be 
warm,  in  order  to  secure  a  good  sweat.  It  will  commence 
to  "warm  up  "  sometime  in  April  or  May,  and  will  be  ready 
to  sample  or  uncase  about  the  first  of  September.  After 
"  going  through  a  sweat,"  the  leaf  takes  on  a  darker  color, 
and  loses  the  rank  flavor  which  it  had  before.  It  is  better 
to  let  the  tobacco  dry  ofi"  before  being  used  or  taken  from 
the  case.  "  Baling  "  is  packing  tobacco  in  small  bundles  or 
packages  containing  from  one  hundred  to  two  hundred  pounds, 


468  BALING. 

and  is  the  manner  of  putting  up  tobacco  for  export  in  Cuba, 
Paraguay,  Algiers,  Hungary,  Mexico,  Syria,  the  Philippines, 
China,  Sumatra,  Japan,  Java,  Turkey,  and  in  some  other 
tobacco-growing  countries.  In  Cuba  after  being  formed  into 
hands  or  "  gavillos  "  and  four  of  these  tied  together  with  strips 
of  palm-leaf  so  as  to  constitute  a  "  tnanoja^'^  fifty  or  eighty 
of  them  are  packed  together,  making  what  is  called  a  "  tercio  " 
or  bale,  the  average  weight  of  which  is  two  hundred  pounds. 
Hazard  says  of  the  number  of  pounds  produced  on  the  i^egas : 

"A  caballeria  of  thirty -three  acres  of  ground  produces 
about  nine  thousand  pounds  of  tobacco,  made  up  in  about 
the  following  proportions  :  four  hundred  and  fifty  of  desecho, 
or  best ;  one  thousand  eight  hundred  pounds  desechito, 
or  seconds ;  two  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  of 
libra,  or  thirds ;  and  four  thousand  five  hundred  pounds  of 
injuriado.  From  these  figm-es,  taking  tha  bale  at  one  hund- 
red pounds,  and  the  average  price  of  the  tobacco  at  twenty 
dollars  per  bale,  (though  this  is  a  low  estimate,  for  the  crops 
of  some  of  the  vegas  are  sold  as  high,  sometimes,  as  four 
hundred  dollars  per  bale,)  an  approximate  idea  may  be  formed 
of  the  profit  of  a  large  plantation  in  a  good  year,  when  the 
crops  are  satisfactory." 

In  Mexico,  after  being  baled,  the  tobacco  is  sent  to  the 
government  factories,  where  it  is  not  weighed  until  two 
months  afterwards.  The  price  is  high,  varying  from  twelve 
to  twenty-eight  dollars  per  crate ;  and  is  paid  in  ten  monthly 
installments.  In  Persia,  when  the  tobacco  is  fit  for  packing, 
the  leaves  are  carefully  spread  on  each  other,  and  formed 
into  cakes  four  or  five  feet  round,  and  three  to  four  inches 
thick,  care  being  taken  not  to  break  or  injure  the  leaves. 
Bags  of  strong  cloth,  thin  and  open  at  the  sides,  are  provided, 
into  which  the  cakes  are  pressed  strongly  down  on  each  other. 
When  the  bags  are  filled  they  are  placed  in  a  separate  drying 
house,  and  are  turned  every  day.  Water  is  then  sprinkled 
on  the  cakes,  if  required,  to  prevent  them  from  breaking. 
The  leaf  is  valued  for  being  thick,  tough,  of  a  uniform  light 
yellow  color,  and  of  an  agreeable  aromatic  smell. 

In  Turkey,  the  tobacco  after  remaining  in  the  dwelling- 
room  of  the  house  a  sufficient  time,  is  ready  for  baling.     The 


CERTIFICATES.  469 

bales  average  in  weight  about  forty  oques  (110  English  pounds). 
The  covering  of  the  bales  is  a  sort  of  netting  made  by  the 
peasants  from  goat's  hair  ;  it  is  elastic  and  of  great  strength. 
Yamberry  says  of  packing  tobacco  in  European  Turkey : 

"  The  tobacco  is  packed  in  small  packets  {Jjog  tche),  and  only 
after  it  has  lain  for  years  in  the  warehouses  of  the  tobacco  mer- 
chants, is  it  honored  by  the  connoisseurs  of  Stamboul  with 
the  title  of  '  Aala  Gobeck.'  This  sort  of  finely-cut  tobacco 
resembling  the  finest  silk,  is  held  in  equally  high  estimation 
in  the  palaces  of  the  Grand  Seignior,  in  the  seraglio,  and  in 
the  divan  of  the  sublime  Porte,  where  the  privy  council 
debate  the  most  important  afiairs  of  the  empire,  under  the 
soothing  influence  of  its  aromatic  vapors." 

In  St.  Domingo  and  the  United  States  of  Colombia,  South 
America,  the  bales  are  called  Serous,  and  in  Holland  and 
Germany,  Packages.  Tobacco  is  sent  to  market  in  bales  of 
various  sizes  and  made  of  various  materials.  In  Cuba,  the 
tobacco  is  bound  with  palm  leaves.  In  South  America  it  is 
packed  in  ox  hides.  From  the  East  it  comes  in  camel's 
hair  sacks  or  "  netting  made  from  goat's  hair,"  while  from 
Persia,  tobacco  is  exported  in  sacks  of  strong  cloth.  Manilla 
tobacco  is  shipped  in  bales  containing  four  hundred  pounds 
net.  It  is  covered  first  with  bass  and  then  with  sacking, 
made  of  Indian  grass  tied  around  with  ratan.  Each  bale  con- 
tains a  printed  statement,  of  which  the  following  is  a  copy : 

PRO  VINCI  A  DE   CAGAYAN, 

PAETiDo  DE  ciTA.  Cosecha  de  186  . 

Clas  de  conteine  40  manos   de  tabaeo 

aforado  por  la  junta  de  aforo  y  enfardelado 
por  el  que  subscribe.  Tuguegarao  de 
de  186  . 

El  Gdbernadc/rciUo  cavdillo.  Y°  B° 

Yicente  Lasan.  El  Interventor  de  aforo. 

The  tobacco  plant  while  growing  is  easily  affected  by  a 
wet  season,  while  it  is  also  liable  to  injury  by  the  opposite 
extreme   of  heat   or  drought.     If  a  drought    occurs   soon 


470 


FIRING. 


after  the  plants  are  transplanted,  their  growth  and  devel- 
opment is  greatly  hindered.  When,  however,  the  plants 
are  nearly  grown,  a  severe  drought  affects  the  plants  but 
little,  the  large  palm-like  leaves  forming  a  kind  of  canopy 
and  keeping  the  earth  moist  and  cool.  During  a  wet  season, 
and  sometimes  when  the  plants  have  been  set  in  damp  soil, 
they  are  affected  by  "  brown  rust,"  or,  as  it  is  called  at  the 
South, 

FIRING. 
It  is  supposed  to  be  caused  by  very  damp  weather,  and  is 
much  dreaded  by  all  growers  of  the  weed,  as  it  is  sometimes 
quite  common,  and  on  low  soil  affects  the  crop  to  a  consider- 
able extent.  It  spots  the  leaf  with  hard  brown  spots  that 
often  fall  out,  producing  holes  fatal  to  the  value  of  the  crop. 

The  lower  leaves  on  the 
plant  are  more  likely  to 
be  injured  than  those 
higher  on  the  stalk. 
The  spots  vary  in  size ; 
sometimes  they  are  as 
large  as  a  three  cent 
piece,  but  more  fre- 
quently about  the  size 
of  a  small  pearl  button. 
At  the  South,  rust  or 
"  firing  "  is  much  more 
common  than  in  the 
Connecticut  valley,  and 
often  whole  fields  are 
badly  affected  by  the 
FiniKG.  malady.    -Some  seasons 

hardly  any  rust  can 
be  discovered  on  the  leaves,  and  if  any  spots  are  found 
they  are  fixed  and  do  not  spread. 

Small  plants  are  more  liable  to  be  injured  than  large  ones, 
and  not  unfrequently  nearly  every  leaf  is  covered  with  the 
spots.     Many  theories  have  been  advanced  in  regard  to  the 


WHITE  RUST.  471 

cause  of  rust  and  how  to  prevent  it.  It  usually  occurs  just 
before,  or  after,  topping,  and  if  the  plants  are  ripe  enough  to 
harvest,  they  should  be  cut  before  the  rust  spreads  to  any 
great  extent.  It  makes  its  appearance  very  suddenly,  and  if 
the  weather  be  favorable  (damp),  spreads  rapidly,  often  in  a 
few  days  injuring  the  plants  to  a  great  extent.  There  are 
two  varieties  of  rust  or  "  tiring,"  brown  and  white ;  and 
while  the  former  is  dreaded  by  the  grower,  as  it  injures  the 
quality  of  the  plant,  the  other  is  regarded  with  special  favor, 
as  it  gives  value  to  the  leaf. 

The  white  rust,*  as  it  is  termed,  is  a  small  white  speck 
(often  noticed  on  cigars),  making  its  appearance  on  the  leaves 
of  the  plant  towards  the  latter  part  of  its  growth,  and  usually 
found  on  the  top  and  middle  leaves.  It  is  usually  found  on 
the  best,  and  more  frequently  on  light  than  dark  tobacco. 
Unlike  the  brown  rust,  the  white  does  not  fall  out,  but  is  as 
firm  in  its  place  as  any  part  of  the  leaf ;  sometimes  the  spots 
are  as  white  as  chalk,  and  again  they  will  be  of  a  yellowish 
shade,  though  lighter  in  color  than  brown  rust.  The  lighter 
the  color  the  better  their  effect  on  the  leaf  upon  which  they 
are  found.  Leaves  thus  "  spotted  "  make  the  finest  of  wrap- 
pers, and  light-colored  leaf  thus  afiected  brings  the  very 
highest  price.  It  is  well  known  to  manufacturers  of  cigars 
that  such  leaves  burn  well,  and  almost  invariably  make  a 
light  ash.  Good  judges  of  cigars  always  pick  for  those  thus 
affected,  and  watch  with  interest  the  ash  of  the  cigar,  noting 
the  color  as  well  as  the  flavor. 

Some  seasons  this  kind  of  rust  is  quite  common,  and  it  is 
supposed  to  be  caused  in  the  same  way  as  the  brown,  although 
there  are  some  growers  who  think  that  it  is  produced  by 
altogether  different  causes.  There  is,  however,  a  marked 
difference  in  the  appearance  of  the  leaves  thus  spotted ;  the 
white  rust  is  not  usually  as  thick  upon  the  leaf,  and  is  more 
generally  found  along  the  sides  of  the  leaf,  while  the  brown 
rust  is  found  more  in  the  center  than  along  the  sides.  Tobacco 
of  a  light  cinnamon   color   thus  "marked"   is  considered 

*f  lorlda  tobacco  is  noted  for  the  wbite  rust  found  on  Uie  leaTes. 


472  SEED  PLANTS. 

the  most  valuable,  and  could  the  planter  obtain  such  a  crop 
at  option,  he  could  realize  the  very  highest  price  for  it. 
Large  growers  who  find  much  of  their  tobacco  "  spotted  "  in 
this  manner,  would  do  well  to  keep  such  leaves  by  themselves, 
and  sell  direct  to  the  manufacturer.  Both  kinds  of  rust  are 
more  commonly  seen  on  the  plants  during  a  wet  than  a  dry 
season,  and  particularly  if  the  plants  have  grown  rapidly 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  time. 

Formerly  buyers  of  leaf  tobacco  were  more  interested  in 
leaf  of  this  description  than  now ;  and  some  of  them,  more 
anxious  than  others,  made  liberal  ofiers  to  any  grower  of 
tobacco  who  could  ascertain  how  such  tobacco  could  be 
obtained.  It  is  hardly  probable  that  any  method  of  culture 
could  be  devised  so  as  to  obtain  such  leaf;  it  seems  to  be  a 
freak  of  nature,  depending  somewhat  on  the  soil  as  well  as 
the  humidity  of  the  atmosphere,  and  without  doubt  is  beyond 
the  control  of  the  grower.  Various  theories  propounded 
and  experiments  tried  have  not  met  with  any  success  that  we 
are  aware  of.  Some  growers  are  of  the  opinion  that  light 
manure  spread  on  moist  soil  will  tend  to  produce  leaf  affected 
with  white  rust,  while  others  affirm  that  such  leaf  is  common 
on  high  ground  when  manured  with  light  fertilizers.  It  is  a 
matter  of  doubt  whether  such  leaf  can  be  obtained  by  any 
preparation  of  soil,  or  any  system  of  cultivation  whatever. 

SEED  PLANTS. 

The  selection  of  large,  well-formed  plants  for  the  maturing 
of  the  seeds,  is  of  more  importance  than  most  growers  are 
aware  of.*  JNot  only  should  the  altitude  of  the  plant  be 
taken  into  account,  but  also  the  size  and  texture  of  the  leaf. 

If  a  variety  foreign  to  the  soil  (on  which  it  is.  cultivated) 
is  grown,  then  particular  pains  should  be  taken  to  select 
seed  plants  resembling  those  cultivated  in  its  native  home. 

In  cultivating  foreign  varieties,  even  the  first  season  plants 
may  be  seen  that  do  not  resemble  the  majority,  but   are 

*Llancourt  says  of  the  selection  of  seed  plants  In  Virginia:—"  The  seed  for  the  next  year 
18  obtained  from  forty  to  fifty  stalks  per  acre,  which  the  cultirator  leta  run  up  au  hieli  u 
they  win  grow,  without  bruising  their  head*." 


HAVANA  TOBACCO. 


473 


seemingly  trying  to  accommodate  themselves  to  the  soil  and 
climate,  and  in  consequence  resemble  in  a  measure  the  variety 
commonly  cultivated.  Growers  of  Havana  tobacco  in  the 
Connecticut  valley 
can  testify  to  this,  and 
especially  to  the  in- 
creased size  of  the 
plants.  There  are, 
however,  growers  of 
Havana  tobacco,  who 
claim  that  it  will 
never  deteriorate  in 
quality,  and  that  seed 
from  Havana  is  not 
required  in  order  to 
secure  the  delightful 
flavor  of  the  Vuelta 
de  Ahajo  leaf.  Our 
experience  is  the  re- 
verse of  this,  and  ap- 
plies more  directly  to  the  flavor  of  the  leaf  than  the  size, 
color,  or  texture.  In  the  Connecticut  valley  Havana  leaf 
retains  in  a  remarkable  degree  the  texture  and  color  of  leaf, 
but  not  the  flavor.  Fresh  or  new  seed  is  required  from  time 
to  time.     Sieckle  says  on  the  choice  of  seed  : — 

"  The  selection  of  seed  is  one  of  the  principal  conditions 
for  raising  good  tobacco,  especially  when  intended  for  the 
manufacture  of  cigars.  In  the  United  States  now  and  then 
Havana  seeds  are  planted.  The  tobacco  raised  therefrom 
generally  resembles  the  real  Havana  in  shape  and  color  of 
leaves.  But  in  order  to  reproduce  approximately  also  the 
fine  taste  and  flavor  of  genuine  Havana  tobacco,  it  would  be 
required  to  impart  to  the  soil  exactly  the  components  which 
constitute  the  famous  tobacco-ground,  viz.:  the  soil  of  the 
above-mentioned  Vuelta  de  Alajo  in  Cuba.  We  say  approx- 
imately, because  the  climate  is  a  thing  that  can  be  neither 
transplanted  nor  fully  equaled  by  artificial  means.  Havana 
seed  propagated  in  the  United  States  usually  degenerates 
very  soon,  even  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  years.     la 


SPANISH    SEED   TOBACCO. 


474  MATURING  OF  SEEDS. 

Other  countries  the  experiment  has  been  made  to  acclimate 
foreign  seeds,  for  instance,  Havana,  by  crossing,  respectively 
changing  the  sexes  and  giving  the  male  influence  now  to  the 
foreign,  then  to  the  home  plant." 

In  the  Connecticut  valley  the  cultivation  of  Havana  tobacco 
is  increasing  year  by  year,  and  it  promises  to  become  the 
principal  variety  cultivated.  All  of  the  leading  qualities  of 
Connecticut  seed  leaf,  such  as  color,  strength,  and  texture, 
are  preserved,  while  the  flavor  is  as  fine  as  that  of  much  that 
is  imported.  The  plants  selected  for  seed  should  be  allowed 
to  fully  ripen,  when  the  leaves  may  be  stripped  from  the 
stalks,  that  the  capsules  may  receive  all  the  strength  of  the 
growing  and  maturing  plants.  The  seed  plants  should  be 
left  standing  some  six  or  eight  weeks  after  the  other  plants 
have  been  harvested.  If  the  nights  are  very  cold  and  frosty, 
the  top  of  the  plants  may  be  covered  with  a  light  cloth  or 
paper  to  protect  the  seed  buds. 

When  the  capsules  are  of  full  size  and  brown  in  color,  the 
top  may  be  broken  off  and  hung  up  in  a  dry,  cool  place  to 
cure,  after  which  the  seeds  should  betaken  from  the  capsules. 
To  do  this,  the  end  of  the  seed  buds  may  be  cut,  when  most 
of  the  seeds  will  fall  out  if  the  buds  are  fully  ripe  and  dry. 
A  southern  planter  gives  the  following  account  of  the  curing 
and  management  of  seed  plants : — 

"  There  are  four  classes  of  tobacco  grown  in  Virginia  and 
North  Carolina,  viz.:  Shipping,  filling,  smoking,  and  wrap- 
ping ;  and  it  is  important  that  planters  desiring  to  raise  either 
one  of  these  should  choose  the  kind  of  seed  best  adapted  to 
each  particular  class.  The  Pry  or  makes  the  heaviest,  richest 
shipping,  and  can  only  be  grown  to  perfection  on  alluvial  or 
heavily  manured  lands.  The  Frederick  or  Maryland  grows 
larger,  but  is  not  so  rich  and  waxy.  The  Oronoko  is  far 
preferable  for  fillers,  smokers  or  wrappers,  being  sweeter  in 
flavor,  finer  in  fibre  and  texture,  and  more  easily  cured 
yellow.  This  is  the  kind  best  adapted  to  our  gray  soils, 
giving  best  returns.  The  product  is  not  so  large  as  on  black 
or  brown  lands,  yet  with  skill  in  curing  and  management, 
the  difference  in  product  is  more  than  made  up  in  quality. 

"  The  Oronoko,  therefore,  is  the  only  kind  suited  to  our 
gray  lands,  and  of  this  there  are  several  varieties,  the  two 


ORONOKO  TOBACCO.  475 

most  in  favor  being  the  yellow  Oronoko,  and  the  Gooch  or 
Pride  of  Granville.  The  first  is  the  kind  that  gave  character 
to  the  Caswell  (North  Carolina)  yellow  tobacco  more  than 
twenty  years  ago,  and  is  still  preferred  by  a  very  large 
number  of  planters  who  grow  the  finest  yellow  smokers  and 
wrappers.  The  latter  is  preferred  in  Granville  county, 
North  Carolina,  that  produces  the  finest  yellow  tobacco 
grown  on  this  continent,  or,  perhaps,  in  the  world.  This 
latter  is  clearly  an  Oronoko  tobacco,  very  much  resembling 
the  former,  except  that  the  leaf  grows  rather  broader,  and  by 
some  is  considered  sweeter.  These  two  kinds  have  been 
grown  with  special  reference  to  their  adaptation  to  producing 
the  finest  quality  of  wrappers,  smokers,  and  fillers.  1  am 
satisfied  that  the  art  of  curing  and  management  have  not  only 
been  very  far  advanced  toward  scientific  perfection,  but  that 
in  perfecting  the  kinds  of  seed  grown  much  improvement  has 
been  made.  For  instance,  in  the  saving  of  seed,  by  adopting 
the  plan  of  turning  out  the  forwardest  plants  growing  in  the 
best  soil,  and  afterwards  observing  to  cut  off  all  the  heads  of 
plants  that  ripen  up  coarse,  narrow  or  ill-shaped,  or  of  a 
green  color  on  the  hill,  and  saving  only  those  heads  that  ripen 
yellow  in  color  and  of  a  smooth  and  fine  texture,  much  has 
been  done  to  improve  the  kind.  Besides,  the  most  important 
point  in  the  saving  of  tobacco  seed  is  to  cut  off  all  the  lateral 
shoots,  leaving  only  three  crown  shoots  to  perfect  seed, 
thereby  securing  larger  pods  and  more  perfect  seed  that 
always  ripen  in  good  time,  and  are  more  reliable  for  seed 
beds  and  the  production  of  early,  vigorous  plants. 

"By  following  this  mode  of  saving  seed  with  special 
reference  to  the  growth  of  a  particular  class  of  tobacco,  in  a 
few  years  the  seed  is  not  only  greatly  improved,  but  as  like 
begets  like  in  the  vegetable  as  in  the  animal  kingdom, 
becomes  sui  generis — the  first  of  its  species.  The  writer  can 
bear  testimony  to  the  above  facts  and  desires  that  others  may 
profit  thereby.  Where  any  plant  attains  its  highest  perfec- 
tion, there  is  the  place  to  secure  the  best  seed.  The  home  of 
the  tobacco  plant  is  in  Virginia  and  North  Carolina,  and  the 
growth  and  perfection  of  the  kinds  here  cultivated  have 
reached  a  point  unattained  any  where  else.  The  West  and 
South  would  do  well  to  procure  their  seed  from  us,  and  then 
Bave  and  propagate  after  the  instructions  above  given." 

SECOND  GROWTH. 

The  first  account  we  find  of  raising  a  second  crop  of  tobacco 


476  SECOND  GROWTH. 

on  the  original  field,  is  found  in  the  earlj  history  of  the 
Virginia  colony ;  who,  not  satisfied  with  the  vast  amount 
cultivated  in  the  usual  manner,  allowed  a  second  growth  to 
spring  up  from  the  parent  stalk  and  thus  obtained  two  crops 
from  the  same  field  in  one  year.  The  inferior  quality  of  this 
growth  at  length  caused  its  prohibition  by  law,  as  described 
elsewhere  in  this  work.  Of  late,  however,  this  "new 
departure  "  in  tobacco  culture  seems  to  have  attracted  some 
attention,  particularly  in  the  Southern  States,  where  numer- 
ous experiments  have  been  made,  and  in  some  instances  with 
complete  success.  In  Mexico  and  also  in  Louisiana  and  Cali- 
fornia, two  and  even  three  crops  are  gathered,  thus  adding 
to  the  profit  of  the  grower,  but  hardly  to  the  fertility  of  the 
tobacco  fields.  Whatever  the  fertility  of  the  tobacco  field 
may  be,  or  the  care  and  attention  given  to  the  second  crop  by 
the  planter,  it  can  not  equal  the  first  crop,  and  must  from  the 
nature  of  the  case  be  quite  inferior  in  size,  texture,  and  flavor 
of  leaf. 

Doubtless  the  varieties  grown  in  the  tropics  will  be  much 
finer  than  the  varieties  grown  in  a  more  temperate  region. 
There  are  many  reasons  why  a  second  and  third  crop  can  not 
be  equal  to  the  first  in  the  qualities  necessary  for  fine  leafy 
tobacco.  In  the  first  place,  the  soil  will  hardly  produce  a 
second  crop  of  the  size  and  texture  of  leaf  that  will  compare 
with  the  first  growth  :  the  leaves  will  be  small  and  resemble 
the  top  leaves  of  the  original  plant  rather  than  the  large, 
well-formed  leaves  of  the  center.  Again,  the  season  will 
hardly  be  favorable  (unless  in  the  tropics),  for  a  second 
growth,  which  has  much  to  do  with  the  quality  of  the  leaf 
and  which  alone  ensures  large,  well-matured  plants. 

In  the  Connecticut*  valley  but  one  crop  can  be.  grown  of 
seed  leaf,  and  even  this  when  planted  late  is  frequently 
overtaken  by  the  "  frost  king "  whose  cold  breath  strikes  a 
chill  to  the  heart  of  the  tobacco  grower  who  has  been  so 
unfortunate  as  to  have  but  a  few  plants ;  especially  if  his 
fields  were  "  set "  late  in  the  season,  or  with  "  spindling  "  or 
"long  shank  plants  "  which  come  forward  slowly  and  forbid 


EXPERIMENTS. 


477 


all  thought  of  a  second  growth,  and  sometimes  give  small 
hopes  of  even  the  first. 

In  Virginia  and  North  Carolina  the  experiment  has  been 
tried  of  covering  the  stumps  or  trunk  of  the  plants  with 
straw,  followed  by  plowing  on  both  sides  of  the  rows,  thereby 
covering  them  to  a  depth  of  several  inches,  in  which  condition 
they  are  left  until  spring,  when  the  covering  is  removed  and 
the  suckers  or  sprouts  shoot  forth  and  grow  with  great 
rapidity.  This  novel  experiment  may  succeed  so  far  as  the 
growth  and  maturing  of  the  plants  is  concerned,  but  will 
hardly  add  to  the  reputation  of  "  Virginia's  kingly  plant "  or 
to  the  prolit  of  the  growers,  as  the  product  must  necessarily 
be  small  if  the  labor  of  transplanting  is  avoided. 

Beyond  all  question,  experiments  with  the  growth  and 
culture  of  the  tobacco  plant  are  among  the  most  interesting 
and  valuable,  and  aflford  the  planter  the  most  pleasure  and 
instruction  of  all  similar  trials  with  the  products  of  the 
vegetable  kingdom.  These  experiments  at  once  develop 
not  only  the  rare  qualities  of  the  plant,  but  its  various  forms 
and  habit  of  growth.  They  show  as  well  as  its  adaptation  to 
all  countries  and  climes,  and  the  preservation  of  its  qualities 
when  grown  in  regions  far  remote  from  its  native  home. 
The  florist  finds  no  more  pleasure  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
rarest  exotic  than  the  tobacco  planter  in  testing  some  new 
variety  of  tobacco,  and  noting  its  varied  qualities  and  adap- 
tation to  his  fields.  By  trying  new  varieties,  some  of  the 
finest  qualities  of  the  plant  have  been  developed,  and  many 
other  of  its  excellences  still  further  advanced.  In  the  United 
States  numerous  trials  and  experiments  are  constantly  being 
made  to  still  further  perfect  the  various  kinds  already  culti- 
vated, as  well  as  to  test  other  varieties  and  note  their  qualities 
and  adaptation  to  the  soil.  Already  far  advanced,  the 
culture  of  the  plant  has  not  yet  reached  its  highest  point. 
The  adaptation,  soil,  and  fertilizers,  are  now  attracting  much 
attention,  and  further  study  of  these  elements  promises  to 
"  bring  out "  qualities  of  leaf  hitherto  overlooked,  or  at  least 
but  partially  developed. 


CHAPTEK  XIV. 

THE    PRODUCTION,   COMMEKCE    AND    MANUEACTTJEE   OF  TOBACCO. 

""EW  comparatively  of  the  users  or  even  of  the 
growers  and  manufacturers  of  tobacco,  are  aware  of  the 
vast  amount  cultivated,  manufactured  and  used.  Many- 
suppose  that  its  cultivation  is  confined  to  the  United 
States  and  a  few  of  the  West  India  Islands,  having  no  idea 
of  the  large  quantities  grown  in  Europe,  Asia  and  Africa 
and  the  islands  of  the  East  India  Archipelago.  The  Spaniards 
first  began  the  cultivation  of  the  plant  on  theT!sland  of  St. 
Domingo,  afterwards  extending  it  to  Trinidad,  the  coast 
of  South  America,  Mexico  and  the  Philippine  Islands.  In 
Portugal  the  cultivation  commenced  about  1575-80,  and 
continued  some  years.  The  Dutch  a  little  later,  began  the 
production  of  tobacco  in  the  East  Indies,  and  in  connection 
with  the  Spaniards  and  Portuguese  were  the  only  cultivators 
of  tobacco  until  the  English  commenced  its  growth  in 
Virginia  in  1616. 

The  first  production  in  St.  Domingo  by  the  Spaniards  was 
sometime  previous  to  1535,  and  the  island  has  continued  to 
produce  the  great  staple  until  now.  In  Trinidad,  however, 
a  finer  article  was  yielded,  and  its  cultivation  became  more 
general  here  until  the  Spaniards  began  to  plant  it  in  Cuba  in 
1580.  From  the  West  Indies,  South  America  and  the  East 
Indies,  Europe  raised  its  supply  of  tobacco  until  the  English 
colonists  commenced  its  cultivation  in  Virginia.  The  Span- 
iards and  Portuguese  at  first  controlled  the  trade  in  tobacco, 
and  extorted  most  fabulous  prices  for  it.  As  soon,  however, 
as  the  Dutch  and  English  began  to  cultivate  it  and  receive  it 

478 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  TOBACCO.  479 

from  their  colonies  the  price  gradually  fell  while  the  demand 
and  consumption  for  it  increased  in  proportion  to  the  falling 
off  of  prices.  From  the  island  of  Trinidad,  Europe  received  its 
finest  tobacco,  and  it  continued  to  maintain  its  reputation  as 
such  until  that  variety  known  as  Varinas  tobacco  from  South 
America  appeared ;  this  variety  attracted  the  attention  of 
European  buyers  and  consumers,  from  its  superiority  in 
flavor  and  appearance  which  it  has  maintained  for  more 
than  two  hundred  and  fifty  years. 

In  South  America,  the  cultivation  of  tobacco  took  its  rise 
in  Venezuela,  Brazil  and  Colombia.  The  varieties  there 
produced  had  acquired  an  established  reputation  as  early  as 
1600,  together  with  St.  Lucia,  Philippine  and  Margarita 
tobaccos.  Early  in  the  Seventeenth  Century,  the  Dutch 
became  the  great  producers  and  importers  into  Europe,  and 
the  growths  of  their  colonies  continued  to  furnish  a  large 
proportion  of  the  quantity  used  until  English  colonial  tobacco 
made  its  appearance  from  Virginia. 

The  Plymouth  and  London  companies  from  its  first  appear- 
ance in  their  markets,  saw  its  vast  importance  as  an  article 
of  agriculture  and  commerce,  and  in  twenty  years  afterthe  first 
planting  of  it,  began  to  reap  rich  returns  from  its  sale  and  pro- 
duction. From  this  time  forward,  not  only  in  America,  but 
in  Europe  and  Asia,  its  cultivation  spread  among  other 
,  nations  until  at  length  it  has  become  one  of  the  great  sources 
of  revenue  of  almost  every  country,  and  a  leading  product  of 
nearly  every  clime.  The  islands  of  St.  Domingo,  Trinidad,  St. 
Lucia  and  Martinique,  do  not  produce  as  large  quantities  of 
tobacco  as  formerly  ;  its  cultivation  in  the  West  Indies  being 
now  confined  chiefly  to  the  island  of  Cuba. 

This  island  produces  at  the  present  time  the  finest  cigar 
leaf  of  the  West  Indies,  which  is  considered  by  many  as  the 
best  grown.  The  value  of  the  annual  product  of  Cuba  is 
estimated  at  $20,000,000,  nearly  as  much  as  that  of  the  entire 
United  States.  Brazil,  Colombia,  Venezuela,  and  Paraguay, 
which  are  the  tobacco-producing  countries  of  South  America, 
furnish  Europe  with  a  large  amount  of  leaf  tobacco.     In 


480  COMMERCE  IN  TOBACCO. 

Brazil  according  to  Scully  it  '*  occupies  the  fourth  place  in 
the  exports  "  and  is  extensively  cultivated  in  various  parts 
of  the  empire.  In  Venezuela  it  is  an  important  article  of 
agriculture,  and  the  product  is  of  fine  quality  and  in  good 
repute  in  Europe.  Colombia  has  long  been  noted  for  the 
amount  and  excellence  of  its  tobacco ;  its  various  growths 
are  fine  in  all  respects  and  are  among  the  finest  cigar  tobaccos 
grown.  In  Paraguay  large  quantities  of  excellent  cigar 
tobacco  are  raised,  much  of  which  is  used  in  various  parts  of 
South  America,  the  remainder  going  to  Europe. 

All  of  the  tobacco  of  South  America  is  unrivaled  in  flavor 
and  is  well  adapted  for  the  manufacture  of  cigars.  In 
Mexico,  tobacco  is  raised  to  some  extent,  particularly  in  the 
Gulf  States,  where  it  develops  remarkably  and  is  of  excellent 
quality  both  in  texture  and  flavor.  Mexico  is  doubtless  as 
well  adapted  for  tobacco  as  any  country  in  the  world,  and  if 
certain  restrictions*  were  removed,  its  culture  would  increase 
and  the  demand  would  cause  its  extensive  production.  In 
the  Central  American  States,  some  tobacco  is  cultivated,  but 
not  to  the  extent  that  is  warranted  by  the  demand  or  the 
adaptation  of  the  soil.  Some  parts  of  the  States,  especially  of 
Honduras,  are  well  adapted  for  the  production  of  the  very 
finest  leaf.  As  it  is  but  little  is  grown ;  hardly  any  being 
exported  to  Europe.  America  is  the  native  home  of  the 
tobacco  plant,  and  in  the  United  States  vast  quantities  are 
produced  of  all  qualities  and  suited  for  all  purposes. 

In  New  England  from  20,000  to  30,000  acres  are  cultivated 
annually,  estimated  to  yield  on  an  average  from  1500  to  1700 
pounds  to  the  acre.  The  annual  product  in  cases  is  from 
50,000  to  170,000.  t  Of  the  Middle  States,  New  York  and 
Pennsylvania  furnish  a  large  amount  of  "seed  leaf"  as  it  is 
called.  In  1872  the  latter  state  reported  38,010  cases,  mostly 
grown  in  three  counties.  A  fine  quality  of  tobacco  is  raised 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  old  William  Penn  mansion, 
and  is  known  to  all  dealers  as  superior  leaf.     In  New  York 


♦  Tobacco  is  not  allowed  to  pass  fiom  one  state  Into  another  without  paying  a  certain 
duty. 
tXhe  amount  in  18T2,  was  172,000. 


CULTIVATION  IN  THE  SOUTH.  481 

the  crop  is  usually  good,  and  along  the  valleys  are  found 
some  excellent  lands  for  its  culture. 

As  we  go  South,  we  reach  the  great  tobacco-growing  states, 
Maryland,  Virginia,  Kentucky,  and  others.  Maryland  has 
long  been  noted  for  its  tobacco,  and  annually  exports  thou- 
sands of  hogsheads  to  European  markets.  Virginia,  as  we 
have  seen,  is  the  coldest  tobacco-producing  stafe  in  the  Union, 
and  still  continues  to  raise  thousands  of  acres  of  the  "weed" 
forhomeTuse'  fifid  for  export.  In^l622^six  years  after  its 
cultivation  began,  she  produced  60,000  pounds  of  leaf  tobacco. 
IToJ^th  Carolina  also  raises  a  fine  article  of  smoking  tobacco — 
of  fine  color  and  superior  flavor.  This  state  has  long  been 
noted  for  its  superior  leaf  tobacco,  and  ever  since  the  first 
settlement  of  the  state  has  produced  large  quantities  of  it. 
In  1753  100  hogsheads  were  exported,  the  number  constantly 
increasing  until  the  present.  In  Georgia  some  tobacco  is 
grown.  Havana  tobacco  was  first  cultivated  in  this  state  by 
Col.  Mcintosh,  and  succeeded  finely  in  some  of  the  counties 
along  the  coast. 

In  Florida,  Havana  tobacco  is  cultivated  altogether.  It 
differs  somewhat  in  flavor,  however,  so  that  it  is  called  Florida 
tobacco,  not  because  it  is  grown  in  that  state,  but  because  it 
is  a  little  bitter,  unlike  that  grown  in  Cuba.  Kentucky  is  the 
great  tobacco-producing  state  of  the  Union.  Two-fifths  of 
the  entire  amount  grown  in  the  country  comes  from  this 
state.  In  1871  nearly  150,000  acres  were  devoted  to  it  in 
the  state — producing  103,500,000  pounds  of  leaf  tobacco. 
In  Ohio  and  Missouri  large  quantities  of  tobacco  are  grown, 
the  former  state  furnishing  both  cutting  and  seed  leaf 
tobaccos.  The  other  Western  states  including  Illinois,  Indi- 
ana, and  "Wisconsin,  are  engaged  largely  in  its  production, 
and  furnish  a  good  article  of  leaf. 

California  for  the  last  few  years  has  given  the  culture  of 
tobacco  some  attention,  and  promises  to  become  a  great 
tobacco-producing  state.  The  United  States  have  cultivated 
in  some  seasons  350,769  acres  of  tobacco,  valued  at  $25,901,- 
769.  The  average  yield  per  acre  is  greater  in  Connecticut 
31 


482  QUANTITY  GROWN  IN  VARIOUS  COUNTRIES. 

than  in  any  other  state,  being  1,700  pounds,  while  the  small- 
est yield  is  in  Georgia,  350  pounds.  The  average  price  per 
pound  in  Connecticut  is  25cts ;  in  Kentucky  7  7-lOcts ;  in  Geor- 
gia 21  4:-10cts ;  in  Ohio  9  1-lOcts;  and  in  Pennsylvania  15  2-10 
cts.  In  1855  there  was  exported  from  this  country  150,213 
hogsheads  and  13,366  cases  of  tobacco. 

In  Europe  large  quantities  of  tobacco  are  grown,  excepting 
in  England,  Spain,  and  Portugal,  where  its  culture  is  prohibit- 
ed by  law  to  benefit  the  colonial  growers  of  the  plant.  Austria 
is  the  great  tobacco-producing  country  of  Europe,  and  yields 
an  annual  product  of  45,000,000  pounds  of  tobacco ;  the  leaf 
is  of  good  quality,  and  is  used  for  cigars.  France  also  raises 
about  30,000,000  pounds  of  tobacco  besides  importing  large 
quantities  from  the  United  States.  In  Eussia  the  annual 
tobacco  crop  is  about  25,000,000  pounds.  In  Holland  about 
as  much  tobacco  is  grown  as  in  the  state  of  Connecticut — 
6,000,000  pounds  and  the  product  is  adapted  for  both  eigar 
and  snuff-leaf.  Large  quantities  of  tobacco  arp  also  imported, 
from  30,000,000  to  35,000,000  pounds.  The  tobacco  factories  in 
the  country  are  stated  to  give  employment  to  one  million  oper- 
atives. Belgium  produces  considerable  tobacco,  about  3,000,- 
000  pounds  annually.  Switzerland  also  raises  from  1,000,000 
to  1,200,000  pounds  of  leaf.  In  Greece  tobacco  is  an  impor- 
tant product  and  the  quality  of  leaf  is  very  fine ;  her  product 
has  been  as  high  as  5,500,000  pounds. 

In  Asia  tobacco  has  long  been  cultivated,  and  is  one  of  the 
greatest  products  of  the  country.  In  both  Asiatic  and 
European  Turkey  the  annual  production  is  about  43,000,000 
pounds.  In  China  and  Japan  large  quantities  are  grown,  as 
well  as  in  Persia,  Thibet,  and  other  portions  of  Asia.  In  the 
Philippine  Islands  its  cultivation  is  carried  on  by  the  Span- 
iards, as  it  has  been  for  upwards  of  250  years.  iBowring  says 
of  its  culture : — 

"  The  money  value  of  the  tobacco  grown  in  the  Philippines 
is  estimated  at  from  4,000,000  to  5,000,000  of  dollars,  say 
1,000,0001.  sterling.  Of  this  nearly  one  half  is  consumed  in 
the  island,  one  quarter  is  exported  in  the  form  of  cheroots 
(which  is  the  Oriental  word  for  cigars),  and  the  remainder 


GOVERNMENT  MONOPOLY.  483 

Bent  to  Spain  in  leaves  and  cigars,  being  estimated  as  an 
annual  average  contribution  exceeding  800,000  dollars.  The 
sale  of  tobacco  is  a  strict  government  monopoly,  but  the 
impossibility  of  keeping  up  any  sufiicient  machinery  for  the 
protection  of  that  monopoly  is  obvious  even  to  the  least 
observant.  The  cultivator,  who  is  bound  to  deliver  all  his 
produce  to  the  government,  first  takes  care  of  himself  and  his 
neighbors,  and  secures  the  best  of  his  growth  for  his  own 
benefit.  From  functionaries  able  to  obtain  the  best  which 
the  government  brings  to  market,  a  present  is  often  volun- 
teered, which  shows  that  they  avail  themselves  of  something 
better  than  the  best.  And  in  discussing  the  matter  with  the 
most  intelligent  of  the  empleados,  they  agreed  that  the 
emancipation  of  the  producer,  the  manufacturer  and  the 
seller,  and  the  establishment  of  a  simple  duty,  would  be  more 
productive  to  the  revenue  than  the  present  vexatious  and 
inefficient  system  of  privileges. 

*'  In  1810  the  deliveries  were  50,000  bales  (of  two  arrobas),  of 
which  Gapan  furnished  47,000  and  Cay  ay  an  2,000.  In  1841 
Cayayan  furnished  170,000  bales ;  Gapan,  84,000 ;  and  New 
Biscay,  34,000.  But  the  produce  is  enormously  increased ; 
and  so  large  is  the  native  consumption,  of  which  a  large  pro. 
portion  pays  no  duty,  that  it  would  not  be  easy  to  make  even 
an  approximative  estimate  of  the  extent  and  value  of  the  whole 
tobacco  harvest.  Where  the  fiscal  authorities  are  so  scattered 
and  so  corrupt ; — where  communications  are  so  imperfect  and 
sometimes  wholly  interrupted  ;  where  large  tracts  of  territory 
are  in  the  possession  of  tribes  unsubdued  or  in  a  state  of  imper- 
fect subjection  ;  where  even  among  the  more  civilized  Indians 
the  rights  of  property  are  rudely  defied,  and  civil  authority 
imperfectly  maintained ;  where  smuggling,  though  it  may  be 
attended  with  some  risk,  is  scarcely  deemed  by  any  body  an 
ofiense,  and  the  very  highest  functionaries  themselves  smoke 
and  ofier  to  their  guests  contraband  cigars  on  account  of  their 
superior  quality, — it  may  well  be  supposed  that  lax  laws,  lax 
morals  and  lax  practices,  harmonize  with  each  other,  and  that 
Buch  a  state  of  things  as  exists  in  the  Philippines  must  be  the 
necessary,  the  inevitable  result. 

"  I  am  informed  by  the  alcalde  mayor  of  Cayayan  that  he 
sent  in  1858  to  Manilla  from  that  province  tobacco  for  no  less 
a  value  than  2,000,000  dollars.  The  quality  is  the  best  of  the 
Philippines ;  it  is  all  forwarded  in  leaf  to  the  capital.  The  to- 
bacco used  by  the  natives  is  not  subject  to  the  estanco,  and  on 
my  inquiring  as  to  the  cost  of  a  cigar  in  Cagayan,  the  answer  waa 


484  A  SOURCE  OF  REVENUE. 

'Casinada'  (Almost  nothing).  They  are  not  so  well  rolled 
as  those  of  the  government,  but  undoubtedly  the  raw  material 
is  of  the  very  best." 

In  Sumatra  some  of  the  finest  tobacco  in  the  world  is  pro- 
duced which  has  an  established  reputation  in  European  markets. 

In  Africa  tobacco  is  grown  to  some  extent  in  Egypt,  Algiers 
and  Tripoli  as  well  as  by  the  natives  of  Central  and  South, 
Western  Africa.  The  French  have  paid  particular  attention 
to  its  culture  in  Algiers  and  have  succeeded  in  producing 
tobacco  of  good  flavor  and  texture.  In  Australia  the  plant 
does  remarkably  well  and  promises  to  become  as  celebrated  as 
that  of  other  portions  or  islands  of  the  East  India  Archipelago. 

It  readily  appears  from  the  extensive  cultivation  of  tobacco 
that  it  can  hardly  fail  of  becoming  an  important  article  of 
commerce.  The  Spaniards  and  Portuguese  found  it  to  be  an 
important  source  of  revenue,  and  from  South  America  and  the 
West  Indies  exported  large  quantities  to  Europe.  As  soon  as 
it  began  to  be  cultivated  in  Yirginia  its  commercial  value 
began  to  be  apparent  and  attracted  many  navigators  who 
came  thither  to  barter  for  tobacco  and  furs,  and  other  articles 
of  inferior  value.  Most  of  the  tobacco  exported  from  the 
United  States  is  shipped  to  Europe  and  from  there  is  reshipped 
to  Asia  and  Africa.  Of  foreign  tobacco  but  little  finds  its 
way  to  this  country,  the  duties*  preventing  many  varieties  of 
excellent  quality  competing  with  our  domestic  tobacco.  Cuba, 
St  Domingo  and  Manilla  tobacco  are  the  only  varieties  that 
are  imported  from  other  countries.  West  India  tobacco,  more 
particularly  that  of  Cuba  —  is  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  world, 
especially  to  Spain,  Great  Britain,  Russia,  France  and  the 
United  States. 

The  tobacco  of  South  America  is  exported  almost  entirely 
to  Europe.  England  receives  a  large  quantity  of  South 
American  tobacco  as  well  as  Spain  and  Portugal.  The 
varieties  cultivated  in  Asia  and  Africa  for  export  are  shipped 
mostly  to  Europe.  Great  Britain,  Spain,  France  and  Ger- 
many are   the   great   tobacco-consuming    countries  of    the 

*Thirty-flye  cents  a  pound,  gold. 


MANUFACTURE.  485 

world,  or  at  least  of  Europe.  In  Great  Britain,  Spain  and 
Portugal,  no  tobacco  is  cultivated,  and  these  countries  are 
therefore  dependent  upon  their  colonies  for  a  supply  of  the 
great  product.  The  commerce  in  the  plant  is  extensive  and 
reaches  to  every  part  of  the  globe.  No  nation,  state,  or 
empire  now  ignores  the  revenue  to  be  derived  from  its 
import  or  culture,  and  many  a  government  receives  more 
from  this  plant  alone  than  from  any  other  source. 

While  some  nations  prohibit  its  culture  at  home,  their 
colonies  are  allowed  to  grow  it,  and  thus  the  article  and  the 
revenue  are  both  secured.  But  while  the  production  of  the 
plant  and  the  commerce  depending  on  it  are  extensive,  they 
are  not  more  so  than  the  manufacture  of  the  leaf  into  the 
various  preparations  for  use.  The  government  work-shops  of 
Seville  and  Manilla,  as  well  as  those  of  Havana  and  Paris  are 
of  enormous  proportions  and  employ  thousands  of  operatives 
in  the  manufacture  of  cigars  and  cigarettes.  In  this  country 
and  in  England,  large  quantities  of  cigars  are  made  both 
from  domestic  and  foreign  tobaccos. 

In  South  America  also  many  are  made,  but  more  for  home 
use  than  for  export.  Cutting  leaf  is  largely  manufactured 
in  this  country,  especially  near  the  great  leaf  growing  sec- 
tions. Most  of  this  is  used  here,  the  leaf  for  manufacture 
abroad  being  exported  in  hogsheads  for  cutting  in  any  form 
desired.  Snuff  leaf  is  exported  largely  from  this  country  to 
Great  Britain  and  France,  where  are  the  largest  manufact- 
urers of  snuff  in  the  world.  At  the  present  time  the 
demand  seems  greater  for  cutting  than  for  cigar  leaf.  The 
growths  of  the  West  Indies  and  South  America  furnish  a 
large  quantity  of  fine  tobacco  for  cigars,  but  comparatively 
little  for  cutting  purposes.  European  tobaccos  are  adapted 
for  both  cutting  and  for  cigars,  and  are  used  extensively  at 
home  though  not  considered  equal  to  American  varieties, 
being  of  a  milder  flavor.  As  an  article  of  production  and 
commerce,  tobacco  must  be  considered  as  important  as  any 
of  the  great  products  or  staples,  since  the  demand  is  constant 
and  continually  increasing.     Year  by  year  its  cultivation 


486         INCREASE  OF  TOBACCO  CULTURE. 

extends  into  new  sections,  where  it  becomes  a  permanent 
production  if  the  soil  and  climate  prove  congenial.  From 
time  to  time  new  varieties  become  known,  and  are  cultivated 
in  various  countries  with  success  varying  according  to  the 
soil  and  climate  and  the  knowledge  of  the  planter.  Nowhere 
is  the  plant  receiving  more  attention  both  in  its  cultivation 
and  manufacture,  than  in  this  country.  (Lhe  varieties  grown 
in  the  tropics  have  been  tested  with  more  or  less  succesSj^'an'd 
bid  fair  ere  long  to  become  the  leading  kinds  in  some  sec- 
tions. But  not  alone  in  this  country  is  the  plant  attracting 
the  attention  of  the  great  commercial  nations.  In  Europe 
and  Asia  as  well  as  in  Africa,  its  production  is  assuming  the 
large  proportions  due  to  its  vast  importance  to  Agriculture 
and  Commerce. 


tate'  Collet 


A  X  «v 


)(/' 


^, 


